Chapter 276: Ch 276: Wolf Mask
Sekwang Technical High School.
A peculiar horror game high school, entered by falling asleep on the night
of a full moon.
From its name, I had guessed it was surely related to Segwang Metropolitan
City.
Though I didn’t expect to run into it so soon.
[The doors are closing.]
"...Shall we go?"
"Yes."
We got off the train first.
The platform was clean and cool, and no strange Anomalous Phenomenon
was immediately visible.
There was only one peculiar thing.
Sekwang Technical High School Graduation Ceremony
To Exit 4! →
This A4 paper was taped to a platform pillar.
A printed notice.
The problem was, this wasn’t the only A4 paper.
The escalator at Exit 2 is under construction. Please use another exit.
Notice of Fire Hydrant Water Stoppage
Train Malfunction / G155■
Owner of lost cat wallet, please go to the station office
The pillars and walls were lined with A4 papers and memo pads.
They were too neat and informational to be advertisements, and the
handwriting and formats were chaotically different, as if written for various
reasons.
Written instructions.
Segwang Subway Map
·Segwang Station (Forest Path of Demise)
·Midnight Station (Body Casino)
·Midnight Night Station (Hanbit Library)
·(Unregistered)
·(Unregistered)
·(Unregistered)
·(Unregistered)
The wiki updates.
Midnight Night Station (Hanbit Library)
A subway station in Segwang Metropolitan City, renovated by a public
library.
Before the Day of Disaster, the area was originally home to a technical high
school and a residential district, but it was redeveloped into a metropolitan
city and selected as a site for the library.
The library, not yet officially open, had kept its doors locked for several
years except for a few areas for nearby citizens, but with the Day of
Disaster, it opened its doors and generously bestowed knowledge and
information.
Do not make it regret this.
...As expected of a ghost story, it’s cryptic.
But.
"At the very least, there’s no explanation about someone dying horribly."
"Yes."
The party seemed slightly relieved after hearing the ’information about this
station’ that I relayed.
"The expression ’bestowed knowledge and information’ is a bit
concerning.... Getting information from the Darkness isn’t always a good
thing, you know. Hmm."
"If it wasn’t unsettling, it wouldn’t be a ghost story, Assistant Manager."
"Badger’s got a point there."
In the first place, we were a Project team formed based on Ho Yuwon’s
objective of figuring out the situation in Segwang Metropolitan City, so we
might be able to find various necessary things at this station.
And besides.
"There’s another advantage."
"Hm?"
"It seems the entry fee will be free."
"...!"
Ghost stories are bound to be influenced by their original concepts, and
that’s usually the same for the rules....
"Right. A public library wouldn’t charge money."
"Yes."
We went up the platform stairs.
We had already experienced a forest with hanged corpses dangling and a
casino that took away Body parts.
The two from the Security Team had already heard the related stories, so no
one had high expectations for what kind of scene would unfold in the
concourse above the stairs.
’It might just be a subway facility plastered with A4 paper.’
But the moment we stepped up, filled with tension.
"...!"
...We saw an unexpected sight.
"...A cave?"
From the top of the stairs, a small cave lined with countless books stretched
on.
’Good heavens.’
It was like an illustration from a classic fantasy novel.
An artificial cave made of bookshelves.
Except the materials were from a library newly built in the 21st century.
Bookshelves made of synthetic materials, processed wood, and aluminum
were interlocked like a puzzle, forming a cave.
’Did they come from different archives...?’
Small mood lamps here and there cast a warm, red light on the archives,
and the densely packed books filled the walls of the square passage, casting
darkness and shadows....
Even the ceiling was a bookshelf packed with books!
[Oh, it reminds me of a painting by a surrealist artist.]
[At the same time, doesn’t it feel like a hidden exploration site from an old
adventure story? An unknown space awaiting a friend’s exploration!
Though it seems we’ve come at a rather bad time.]
My thoughts exactly.
Looking back at the realistic facility below the platform, the sense of
incongruity grew even stronger.
"Stand by."
Lee Ja-heon Section Chief, with a rope tied to his body, advanced into the
bookshelf cave and turned a corner....
Then walked back out, perfectly fine.
"No traps confirmed."
"Hoo."
We decided to enter.
Instead of a rope, we tied a thread to the end of the passage, to the stair
railing, and decided to enter while slowly letting it out.
Those in the Field Investigation Team who had masks put them on in
unison, just in case.
And....
"I brought yours, too."
"...Yes!"
Assistant Manager Eun Haje smiled and handed a Field Investigation Team
mask to Supervisor Park Minseong.
Supervisor Park Minseong replied in a slightly choked voice, then took the
mask and put it on.
The familiar Badger Mask.
For some reason, I felt a pang in my heart....
’But if this is the case....’
I simultaneously looked back at the only person without a mask.
"I’m fine.... This...."
The Security Chief refused the identification-jamming mask Lee Ja-heon
Section Chief tried to hand him, and instead just took out an old disposable
mask and put it on.
’....’
[How can he be so shabby!]
Anyway, after finishing our preparations, we began to enter the ’library
cave’....
"Ah, just in case, it would be best to communicate primarily through
Written Conversation for now."
"Because libraries are usually quiet?"
"Yes."
The party, having prepared pens and paper, moved quietly.
Standing at the very back, I moved while slowly letting out the thread,
marking our way back.
Thud, thud....
The path through the archives continued around a corner.
Sometimes a fork in the road would appear, but we also observed cases
where it was a doggy-door so small we couldn’t possibly go through.
-Should we make it a rule to always go right?
-Yes.
Near the doggy-doors, which seemed like a perfect setup for an ambush,
Lee Ja-heon Section Chief would walk as if to block the party.
We kept advancing, stopping, and observing our surroundings.
In the meantime, there was only one peculiar thing I confirmed.
Through a small gap between the packed bookshelves where there were no
books....
There was a window.
"...!"
I carefully checked it.
Outside the window, it was pitch black.
It was almost impossible to see anything, like the dead of night where you
couldn’t see an inch ahead. I wondered if this was what a night with heavy
cloud cover and not a single streetlight would feel like.
But there was just one light source visible beyond it.
Sekwang Technical High School
The nameplate at the high school’s main gate.
It looked strange.
I briefly tried to see more of the dark outside, past my own reflection in the
window, but soon stopped.
Because Lee Ja-heon Section Chief had grabbed the nape of my neck from
behind.
"...."
-Stop.
Yep.
Right. In a ghost story, an excessive passion for exploration is madness.
’Unless I want to collect another bad ending.’
No matter how many times I die, I wake up in reality, but if I go missing,
there’s no solution. I shouldn’t do things that only the research team would
enjoy.
Thus, after a brief report to the party, I kept moving.
...with a lingering unease in my heart.
"...."
"...."
But no other peculiarities appeared.
No signs, no floor indicators, not even an exit sign.
’...Just how big is this place?’
An overwhelming strangeness that makes one lose their sense of reality and
become weary of its endlessness.
A frustrating drowsiness, like being in a strange dream.
And what’s more.
-Why aren’t there any library rules?
It must have been at least 40 minutes since we started our exploration, but
there were strangely no signs at all.
There wasn’t even a bookshelf with bloodstains or a book spine with
suspiciously twisted letters.
Only the cave of bookshelves, fitted together up to the ceiling as if violating
the laws of physics, continued endlessly.
-Badger, you take one for the team and touch a book.
-You’re joking, right, Assistant Manager?
-Of course.
That’s right. We couldn’t just act recklessly.
The only fortunate thing was that Supervisor Park Minseong, after passing
through intense emotions like tension, confusion, and joy, was now showing
an almost familiar attitude.
However....
’...He’s like he was in Team D.’
As if subconsciously ignoring the fact that he was in the Security Team in
reality, Supervisor Park Minseong was acting with the exact same attitude
as when he was part of the old Team D.
As if he had returned to the past.
’....’
I can’t help but worry about the Security Chief.
I kept checking on the Security Chief, who was walking slowly while
looking at the floor, and almost bumped into him.
Hoo.
But the Security Chief was still looking at the floor.
’...!’
-Is there something on the floor?
"...."
The Security Chief slowly, flowingly, scrawled in terrible handwriting.
-Seems like it
I reflexively lowered my head.
In the dark passage, if I scanned my eyes up the path on the floor, faintly
visible between the shadows of the bookshelves and books....
There was a strange pattern.
"...!"
I tapped the shoulder of a party member to signal them to wait a moment,
then hurriedly moved a book near the floor slightly to the side to fully
reveal the pattern and check it.
What was revealed in the light and darkness of the mood lamp was....
"...."
What is this?
For a moment, I thought I couldn’t make it out properly because of the
shadow, but the moment I bent down, I realized.
It’s a trick.
’...The viewing angle!’
I immediately bent down again. I needed a viewing angle that would
compress the pattern vertically.
Bending down much further, with my head practically on the floor and only
my eyes looking up.... I can see it.
Do not make the sound of footsteps
"...!!" I found it.
’The library rules.’ And I realize in succession.
The posture one must take to read this phrase properly. Lying prostrate on
the floor, head pressed down, checking with only the eyes slightly raised....
’A bow.’
It can only be read by taking a posture like one is bowing in submission. A
posture like a slave or an insignificant being would take before an
indescribably powerful and great entity.
’....’
I remembered.
The ’basic information’ of this station that I had casually overlooked, my
attention focused on the wiki’s information.
The announcement inside the train.
-The archive of knowledge, a resting place for citizens, a sanctuary for ■■.
Passengers going to Hanbit Library, please get off at this station. A
sanctuary for ■■.
’...Damn it.’ A cold sweat ran down my spine.
It seems that here. There’s something that ’must be bowed to.’
[To greet a precious visitor who has gone to the trouble of coming here in
such a stale and petty manner! A sense of humor that wouldn’t get a single
drop of screen time.... If this were a live broadcast, this is the kind of
person who should be kicked out and an understudy called in.]
[Friend, is there any need to humor such a rude fellow?]
Sadly, there is.
’If I don’t, I’ll die or go missing during the exploration....’
I swallowed a sigh and moved on.
After the chilling realization that ’this library has an unknown master,’ the
’rules of use’ on the floor that we found while backtracking through the
passage were as follows.
Do not make the sound of footsteps
Do not fall asleep
Stare at the window
Leave after obtaining one thing
Be curious
Do not go down to the basement
-This feels weirder the more that get added.
I was in violent agreement.
’This is creepy.’
There were no immediate signs of our heads being chopped off, but our
steps became more cautious. It seemed certain that, befitting a library, it
demanded silence.
’The rules of use won’t increase indefinitely.’ We decided to first continue
forward slowly until we came to a passage with a repeated rule.
Silence.
A caution where not even the sound of footsteps could be made, where
nothing happened. It was naturally an exploration that made the back of my
neck stiff with tension, but....
[Hmm, patience is said to be a virtue, but repeated scenes are indeed a
boring sight for the audience! Mr. Roe Deer, how much longer do you plan
to ’endure’ and repeat the same action?]
...About that.
’Actually, there’s something that’s been bothering me.’
[Oh!]
Be curious
This rule of use.
’Could it be that the path changes only when we are curious?’ A doubt that if
we have ’curiosity’ about certain information, the path might connect to
where that information is.
’...Is it better to try it, as long as it’s not too radical?’
In the end, I harbored a curiosity in my mind. A spatial curiosity related to
the place, not too extreme.
-Where is Exit 4 of this station, which is said to lead to Sekwang Technical
High School?
Wondering about that, I took a step.
"...."
"...."
And then, a fork in the road appeared again. The party members turned into
the right fork, and just as I, the last in line, was about to follow....
Thud.
I saw it.
In the left fork, the shape of a person flickered in the shadow of the mood
lamp.
’...!’
The Black Silhouette, as if it had spotted me, ran and disappeared deeper
inside. Dropping a book it had been pulling out of the shelf onto the floor.
And I recognized a familiar shape in that figure.
’...A school uniform?’
A thrilling realization.
I urgently tapped the back of the party member ahead of me and headed
towards the left fork.
The title of the book the Black Silhouette dropped comes into sharp focus
as I get closer....
<A Collection of Masterpiece Horror Short Stories from the 2000s>
"...!!"
This.
-On a night with a full moon, if you read a specific book and fall asleep,
you may wake up in the school at night.
The method to enter Sekwang Technical High School.
The name of the illegal text file used there.... -
Masterpiece_Horror_Novel_Collection_2000s.txt It’s almost a perfect
match.
’Wait a minute.’
I managed to check the table of contents on the back cover without touching
the book....
"You’re a bit impulsive."
...!
"But it’s not bad. If you just waste time doing nothing, even the
opportunities you had will disappear. Even the Elite Team sometimes
misses them. In the Darkness, time is a resource."
"...."
"Still, next time, wait for your party to arrive before you act."
The sound of a person getting up from behind me.
A hand tapping my shoulder.
"Is your mask... a deer?"
I turned my head.
"It’s ambiguous. Hmm, to me, it looks like a Dragon, though."
....
"What nickname do they call you in your team?"
An employee in a suit wearing a Wolf Mask was standing there.