Chapter 277

## 277

In this moment.
What exactly just occurred?
“…”
Wrapped in the quiet, I fixed my gaze on the ‘individual’ who had materialized behind me.
A dark suit paired with a beast-like mask.
The second I saw that specific outfit, I knew exactly where they belonged. After all, my own Exterior followed the same dress code.
‘A member of the Field Investigation Team from Daydream.’
However, as I looked down at my own attire.
I caught a faint disparity.
The styling of his hair.
The cut of his suit.
Vague impressions, fueled by instinct, whispered that ‘this is somehow distinct from the current era.’
That look was more vintage than mine.
[My, the time periods don’t match.]
Indeed.
The staff member standing before me was certainly not a contemporary of the 2020s.
Someone from decades prior.
That… unmistakable Wolf Mask.
“…”
I recalled a legendary figure from the annals of the <Darkness Exploration Record> who fit that precise profile.
‘…The Leader of Elite Team B.’
J3.
The previous self of the Security Chief.
A vanishing glimpse of history that had flickered by when I consumed the Nostalgia Candy was now standing in front of me as a tangible, breathing reality.
I confronted it, paralyzed.
And…
“You aren’t responding. Should I simply address you as Employee Yong?”
“…!”
With those words, a jolt of reality hit me once more.
Hold on.
‘Where did the others go?’
I instinctively turned toward the far aisle of the library where my companions had been stationed, but the area was vacant.
Nothing but a mute corridor of bookshelves stretched out, feeling disturbingly foreign.
‘…!’
I had become separated from them.
A chilling sense of dread seeped through me.
In this entire domain, the only human shadow was the man in the Wolf Mask.
“…”
The realization began to sink in.
‘This is an Anomalous Phenomenon.’
This Wolf-Masked man was also a surreal manifestation derived from J3 by the chronicle of this ‘Hanbit Library’ within Segwang Metropolitan City.
‘Do not agitate him.’
Not yet.
-It is wiser to avoid loud noises in this environment.
I would play the part of a Daydream staffer who had wandered into a supernatural tale.
‘I won’t bring up J3.’
Taking a steadying breath, I produced a scrap of paper and wrote on it with a pen.
The man in the Wolf Mask watched the paper intently.
-Since this is a library, I would prefer we communicate through Written Conversation.
I then held out the pen to him.
Toward him.
“…”
“…”
The Wolf-Masked man didn’t take the tool.
Instead, he gracefully extracted a pen from his own suit pocket and replied on the paper I provided.
-A library, you claim.
Is it possible…
-Were you unaware that this was a library?
The man in the Wolf Mask only revealed the bottom half of his face, which wore a ghost of a smile.
-Where were you located just before this?
-Let’s see. I’m certain I entered a subway station to investigate a vending machine Darkness, and the next thing I knew, I was rounding a corner in this labyrinth of literature.
“…”
-You seem quite comfortable in this setting, Employee Yong. Were you currently scouting this maze of stacks?
-Yes.
I wrote with composure.
‘There’s no point in correcting him to say my handle is Roe Deer.’
As long as the Security Chief remained in this state, I needed to maintain a peaceful rapport as carefully as possible and somehow, with caution…
-In that case, which team does Employee Yong serve?
-Team D.
Fine. I’ll just claim to be a newly recruited junior.
But at that instant.
-Team D.
The look coming from behind the Wolf Mask shifted.
‘…What?’
My mind went completely blank at the response that appeared next.
-There is no such team.
“…!!”
Immediately, a shiver raced down my spine as the reason for this discrepancy dawned on me.
‘A conflict in the established lore…!’
I had to recall the <Darkness Exploration Record> from the era when this Team B Leader was first ‘cataloged.’
‘That was back when the lore of Daydream was only just being defined.’
It was a period when the corporation’s internal details weren’t as polished as they are today. A time when looking up ‘Daydream Company’ would yield only a solitary page of documentation.
Do you know how staff were categorized back then?
Daydream Company
A predatory firm that harvests medicinal raw materials by discarding countless workers into ghost stories as if they were disposable components.
The staff, believing they had secured a position at a prestigious corporation, suffered myriad horrific ends within the supernatural tales.
Among the workers utilized for material collection, only those who excelled in high-stakes missions could qualify for the Elite Teams—labeled A, B, and C—and eventually ascend to executive ranks.
That was it.
The Elite Teams.
And everyone else.
In other words, any Daydream Inc. staff member not sorted into A, B, or C was nothing but a sacrificial pawn to be consumed by the stories.
There were no tiers or career paths for these workers initially. They were all merely employees. Just faceless laborers with experimental serial numbers noted beside their names in files.
It perfectly captured the terrifying core of the urban legend: ‘I thought I landed a corporate job, but I’m actually a guinea pig.’ That was the reality for Daydream Company employees…
‘And there were already ghost stories forged around this specific lore.’
To maintain the logic of those tales…
5.1 Daydream Company (Early Era)
A predatory firm that harvests medicinal raw materials by discarding countless workers into ghost stories as if they were disposable components.
Everything had been categorized as a relic of the past.
‘Daydream before its incorporation.’
Daydream Inc. had evolved from a shadowy past setting with basic horror tropes into a dominant force in the world-building, gaining layers of detail as it transformed into a global pharmaceutical giant.
‘….’
I can feel it. A stare.
The eyes of the former Elite Team Leader, boring into me.
A sharp, analytical gaze, as if he were trying to figure out if I was a mere mimicry of a human being.
…And I am aware.
The specific screening process used for the original Elite Teams.
5.1.4 Team B (Early Era)
An Elite Team of Daydream Company.
A division for staff who consistently show an exceptional talent for identifying the right path in binary or true/false scenarios.
And this man is the captain of Team B.
I know that a shallow deception won’t hold up.
Therefore.
-It does exist.
It’s better to meet the challenge directly.
-In my era, employee teams stretch all the way to Team Z. Because I am a Daydream staff member from the year 202■.
“…!”
I offer the truth.
-And I’ve heard the rumors before. …That decades ago, there was a captain in the Elite Team who wore a Wolf Mask.
I looked directly at the man in the mask.
-I inferred it from the gaps in your knowledge and mannerisms, but could it be… that you are that Team B Leader?
The man observed me in silence.
Then, just as a cold sweat began to form on the nape of my neck, he took up his pen once more.
-Correct.
Phew.
-A library is a place of intersection, where the wisdom of the past reaches out to the future.
-So I speculated that perhaps the threads of the past and future have converged within this strange library ghost story.
The man moved his pen with a relaxed air.
-An intriguing hypothesis.
-Or perhaps you were merely testing a fantasy, one you don’t even believe yourself, under the pretense of a guess.
I nearly choked on my own breath.
…The Wolf Leader’s hand brushes against my back….
-I’m not entirely sure myself. I suppose we’ll have to discover the truth from here on out.
-I’m relying on you, Employee Yong.
And just like that, an improbable alliance was formed.
We move through Hanbit Library, a massive cavern of book-filled walls, keeping our footsteps light.
The Wolf Leader, having reviewed the ‘Library Rules of Use’ on the floor that I had pointed out and he had verified, walks beside me in silence.
I can feel his eyes on me occasionally.
-Hmm. Should I just call you Leader?
-Yes, Leader.
Naturally, I couldn’t ask for the Wolf Leader’s actual name. If I committed such a suspicious act as requesting a true name within a ghost story, our bond might turn dangerously hostile.
Still, walking alongside a version of the Security Chief from before his Contamination—a legendary figure from the <Darkness Exploration Record>—felt more surreal than any urban legend.
The pressure.
…Focus.
‘I have to locate the others.’
I glanced down at the Yarn gripped in my hand.
…The Wolf Leader had intuited the purpose of this Yarn the moment he laid eyes on it.
-Did you anchor that to the library entrance before stepping inside? Much like Ariadne from the Greek myths.
-Correct.
-Then let’s continue to utilize it.
…And so, from the junction where my companions had vanished and I had encountered the Wolf Leader, I had snagged the Yarn onto a convenient gap in a bookshelf and was now retracing the path where my party had gone missing.
‘If there’s any chance the others spot this Yarn, they’ll be able to track it.’
I maintained my focus, certain that even if the route became tangled, I would notice immediately.
But a moment later.
I came across a jarring sight.
“…”
“…”
A familiar hallway appeared once more.
[Good heavens!]
<Masterpieces of 2000s Horror Short Stories>.
We had circled back to the origin, where the book dropped by someone in a school uniform still rested on the floor.
As if by some trick, the Yarn now stretched out chaotically into both corridors, forming two distinct lines.
‘Damn it.’
-It appears this location possesses a physically impossible layout. This maze of literature.
I gave a slow nod.
-And the catalyst must be that book.
“…!”
-You haven’t stopped looking at it. You desired that book, didn’t you?
Damn it.
-I suppose I did.
-I understand. For now, let’s leave it be and keep moving. The same direction we took previously.
“…”
I came to a halt.
-Why have you stopped?
-Are you proposing we keep walking in ‘the exact same way’ just to provoke a reaction from the library?
The eyes behind the Wolf Mask regard me.
A spark of intrigue.
-Yes.
Hoo.
-There are two varieties of ghost stories, you see.
-Those that are terrifying simply by existing. And… those that are terrifying because they are observing me.
-This library seems to be the latter.
“…”
-This library is clearly the sort that responds to its inhabitants, so the more we repeat a behavior that triggers a response, the higher the likelihood it will reveal itself more plainly.
I hear a faint murmur.
“And you’re the confident type.”
“…!”
“You’re quite bright as well. But I can also anticipate what you’re thinking, so from here on, you don’t need to ask. Clever Employee Yong.”
“…”
“Let’s move.”
The Wolf Mask pulls back.
Holding back a groan, I tightened my hold on the Yarn and began walking back the way we had just come.
My legs felt heavy.
‘Think.’
Yet even through the stress, my mind was spinning with desperate theories.
One of the library’s operational rules.
Once you acquire one item, depart.
Could it be that I am required to touch that book to escape this library?
No, I might be ejected automatically… and that’s the more concerning issue.
‘What about the others?’
My whole team has disappeared, and the Security Chief’s identity has been fundamentally shifted.
And…
Is it truly safe to leave the Security Chief in this condition?
As I continued with a heavy heart.
“Hmm.”
At that point.
Pat, pat.
The Security Chief tapped my shoulder, gesturing for me to look past the fork in the road.
The area I had just occupied a moment ago…
Origin of the Incense Burner’s Path
“…!” Crimson marks were strewn about in a mess. The Yarn I had laid down was strangely unraveled, forming bizarre symbols on the floor… -There it is. The ‘response.’ ‘Ha.’ It was a terrifyingly perfect alignment, but the thickening horror vibe was petrifying. Swallowing my fear, I crouched down to decipher the symbols.
Origin of the Incense Burner’s Path
“….” -What could this signify? This. -It appears to be an anagram. I broke down and rebuilt each character, constructing a single phrase… The words I whispered were, “…One Who Heads Towards the Path of Worship?” “Excellent.” Click. When I turned, I saw the Wolf Leader pulling a volume from a corner shelf. The title, <One Who Heads Towards the Path of Worship>, was printed on the spine. “…!” The shelf gives way. With a low, mechanical rumble, the unit from which the book was taken slides aside, exposing a fresh corridor. But… It’s crimson. It’s dark. A place where, instead of the comforting glow of lamps, a red, misty light heavily drenches a dark cavern of shelves. And… ‘…There’s a decline.’ Gradually, my field of vision is sloping downward.
“….” The Hanbit Library wiki refreshes. The text that follows is…

> The faithful soul who has not quenched their curiosity may venture into a deeper realm. Move from the open space to the sealed space to the radiant space to the threshold and encounter the guardian of the Mirror Reflecting Truth Hanbit Library
> Prostrate yourself
> ■■■■■■■■■■(redacted)

Something was wrong. ‘No.’ I frantically jotted a note to the Wolf Leader. I think we took the wrong pa…. -Ithinkwetookthewrongpath. Something distorted is forming. ‘Damn.’ I tried to pull the paper back, fighting a scream. But. “Wait a moment.” The Wolf Leader seizes the note first. “Hmm. So your voice still functions.” “….” “We’ll stick to verbal communication. Softly. Never raise your voice.” “…Yes.” I nodded immediately. “Don’t tread on the Yarn. We are going to turn around and exit slowly. Understood?” And so, muffling our steps, we retreated from the corridor containing the red rules of use. Yet, the dark path revealed by the shifted shelf didn’t vanish. It stayed there, open like a chasm, with an aura that felt like it would pull you in. ‘Hoo.’ That was close. “….” I trembled and closed the wiki. And so, this time, I followed the Yarn back to the origin point. <Masterpieces of 2000s Horror Short Stories>. “Now you’re certain, aren’t you?” …. “That avoiding the book is not the correct solution.” This is making me lose my mind. There’s no turning back now. ‘It’s better to verify.’ This has to be the mechanism. In a cryptic library that yields wisdom and data, failing to investigate the ‘knowledge offered in response to interest.’ Isn’t that effectively stomping on a button labeled ‘please trigger an anomaly’? ‘If I continue like this, the layout here will become even more warped, and that’s far too risky.’ I don’t know how it might affect the rest of the party… I have to check. “…I’ll examine the book.” Finally, I cautiously stepped toward the volume, reached out… and lifted it. “…” “Let’s examine it together.” I nearly suffered a cardiac event. But the Wolf Section Chief’s hand, gripping one edge of the cover, wouldn’t budge, so I eventually accepted the situation. ‘Actually, this might be better.’ If we find a way out, we’ll go together. “…Then, I’ll find the page containing the ‘information I sought’.” Flip, flip, the paper turns. Mundane and eerie horror snippets appeared before me, made of text. I tried my hardest not to focus on them as I kept flipping… and stopped at a familiar line. In the Dark Shadow The ghost story of Sekwang Technical High School. “Hoo.” After a long breath, I read the entry. The familiar prose I had once seen in a digital file. It all took place on the day of our commencement. And in the next heartbeat. The characters liquified and spun chaotically before my eyes… “….” When I opened my eyes once more, I saw a school grounds draped in shadows. In the middle of the night. I was standing on the track field inside the main gate of Sekwang Technical High School. And the person who had read it with me… “Hmm.” He was still wearing his Wolf Mask. ‘Ha.’ It was an exhausting situation, but first, I checked what was still in my hand. The book. ‘Wait.’ Won’t this be seen as me removing it from the premises? Panicked, I looked down at the volume. Flutter. “…?” Something slipped out of the book. A discolored, yellowish object, as if it had been hidden between the leaves. I grabbed it on instinct. ‘A paper envelope?’ The aged paper envelope, designed to hold currency, was light. It appeared to be vacant. ‘What is this?’ I had no intention of peek inside. But… The envelope unsealed itself. “…!” What erupted from within was… a soft, azure light. Something I recognized. ‘A soul-fire.’ The type produced by a supernatural operative of the Disaster Management Bureau. The soft blue glow circled the envelope, and then, on the back, characters emerged as if seared into it by flame.

—

The fact that you are viewing this implies you are an operative the soul-fire can identify, which must mean the recovery efforts in Segwang Metropolitan City have started again. I pray that at the very least the pupils can be saved. Do not search for us. We were unsuccessful.
—Field Recovery Squad Blue Dragon

“…!” [Oh, the ones who gave their allies a pathetic workspace because of budget cuts. Could this be a note left by those government workers?] …Yes. The Emergency Rescue Squad was certainly a branch of the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau. This was definitely a remnant left by one of their agents. ‘But…’ My focus shifted to the unknown team name. ‘Blue Dragon Team?’ Then. “Disaster Management Bureau?” “…!” …I heard the voice of the Wolf Mask, who had been reading the message at my side. “Employee Yong, are you… an operative of the Disaster Management Bureau?” Dammit.