Chapter 42.1
Step, step.
I was quietly walking through an exhibition that plucked out human eyes.
And next to me was someone who perfectly fit the āhuman trashā archetype in a horror story.
āI really wish Baek Saheon would just keep quiet and act like a human totem.ā
On the way here, Iād seen horrifying shadows crawling on the floor a few times from a distance. Each time, I couldnāt be more thankful to have someone with meā¦
āAs long as I donāt let my guard down. Thatās the key.ā
Braun spoke to me in a tone that suggested he was amused.
– Mr. Roe Deer, this fellow talks in such an interesting way. Itās almost like heās someone else entirely.
āDo you hate it?ā
– Not at all! Itās utterly fascinating. Itās as though heās created a more exaggeratedā¦ persona for the sake of a show.
Hm. Thatās a fair point.
– So, is leaving this magnificent exhibition your ultimate goal?
Thatās correct.
Andā¦
āIāve already made my escape plan.ā
Iād confirmed that this exploration was recorded as the seventeenth entry in the <Dark Exploration Records>, so I based my escape strategy on that case.
Iād even decided which of my items to use.
– Oh!
– But is it necessary to use the word āescapeā? Wouldnāt it be easier to just grab any staff member and ask them to guide you to the exit? Theyād surely oblige politely!
Thatās where the problem begins.
āThe staff in this exhibition are machines.ā
The kind with spider-like legs that swing ominously.
– Hmm. And?
āAnd each machine only knows information about its designated area.ā
Each area of this exhibition is equipped with an usher for the convenience of visitors.
While some past visitors referred to these ushers as āmonstersā, they are, in fact, vintage mithril automated-kiosk steam dolls, a model from Imperial Year 62627.
Though their memory units are somewhat limited to information about their specific areas, they are historical and meaningful artistic artifacts.
For the sake of a constructive viewing experience in our exhibition, we kindly request refraining from using derogatory terms.
What this means is that if you want to ask about the exit, you must go to the area where the exit is located and talk to the staff there.
And by the time you get thereā¦ if too much time has passed, youāll be ācharged the feeā and turned into a grotesque human slug.
Even identifying which area contains the exit is a monumental challenge to begin with.
āBut thereās a hint.ā
I stopped walking.
I had found what I was looking for.
“ā¦An elevator?”
Standing in front of me and Baek Saheon was an antique-style elevator, glowing faintly with brass tones.
The elevator was caged in iron bars, and a small light bulb flickered in front of it.
Like any elevator, a guide panel was attached to the wall beside it, displaying floor numbers and usage instructions.
The only problem was that the text was written in a script we couldnāt understand.
āJust one more way to raise the exploration difficulty.ā
The disconnect created by the script.
Baek Saheon frowned.
“ā¦Are you planning to ride this thing?”
“Dunno.”
“We canāt even check the floors. Are you out of your mind?”
I stared at him without a word. He quickly looked away.
āAs if Iād do something that reckless.ā
But I had Braun, the creepypasta talk show host who claimed to be fluent in every language!
āBraun, can you read this elevatorās guide panel?ā
– Thatās hardly a difficult task, Friend!
– Ahem ahem,
Braun cleared his throat and began explaining in a friendly voice.
– This elevator comes with a stationed usher who will press the button for your desired floor upon request. Quite a quaint and sophisticated service, isnāt it?
This meant that you couldnāt use the elevator without meeting an usher, which also meant getting your eyes plucked out.
Even knowing this, I swallowed involuntarily.
āDoes it mention anything about the exit?ā
– Unfortunately, no! It mostly describes the floors and their exhibitions.
– Oh, and by the way, youāre currently on the second floor. ā¦Ah, wait a moment. Thereās also a description of this mansionās history!
āā¦ā¦!”
This was information not included in the <Dark Exploration Records>.
āKeep going.ā
– Of course, Friend!
– This is the grand estate of a most nobleā¦ and refined collector. Through their charitable spirit, theyāve dedicated this endless exhibition to sharing their art and philosophy.
– Furthermore, this historic mansion is composed of seven floors above groundā¦ and 7,221 floors below ground.
“ā¦ā¦”
Wait.
What?
āBelow groundā¦ 7,221 floors?ā
– Thatās correct. Hmm, it seems theyāve been collecting for quite a long time!
I froze.
āā¦I already knew there was a basement.ā
It wasnāt described at first.
The early exploration records of this ghost story, <Manor of the Blind>, detailed lucky escapes from the ground floors or the deaths of those who couldnāt get out.
Those records drew readers in, sparking popularity.
As the records expanded and the world of the story grew, some explorer inevitably made a discovery.
The 23rd record is a testimony left by a visitor who entered the basement floors via the elevator.
The existence of the basement floors.
From then on, records detailed people descending into the basement after failing to find a way out on the floors above ground.
The relentless descent in search of an exitādown and further downāconveyed an overwhelming, chilling fear.
At this point, the ghost story became categorized as cosmic horror.
lynniee
well goddamnn almost 8000 floors…good luck finding exit from there lol, its gonna be a leg day