Chapter 107

===================

Translated by Jinmu

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

===================

…The Church of the Nameless Splendor.

If the Paranormal Disaster Management Bureau tries to eliminate ghost stories, and Daydream Co. tries to utilize them,

‘the Church of the Nameless Splendor is the ghost story itself.’

They worship ghost stories and believe that the origin of this world is the ghost story.

Therefore, they are fanatics who believe that if they excavate and cultivate ghost stories well, and become a meaningful existence in the world, they can receive the choice of ‘my Lord’ and live eternally.

‘It’s completely an apocalyptic cult.’

Honestly speaking, among the three major factions appearing in <Records of the Dark Exploration>, it is the faction I feel the most distance from.

‘Because it’s not… my taste.’

Of course, I had read the wiki articles of that cult too.

So, although the wiki page loads fine through the ‘Memorial GripTok,’ the problem was that I hadn’t read the wiki for several days.

‘That must be why I didn’t notice right away.’

But now that I have identified it, I can properly grasp the current situation.

The bizarre repetition phenomenon that occurred during the night cleaning of the quarantine room. What on earth from the Church of the Nameless Splendor caused this nightmare-like situation?

I took a deep breath.

This is…

‘A doppelgänger type of ghost story.’

A supernatural entity that usurps someone’s life.

One of the cult-style ghost stories that gained explosive response and fame in the early days when the Church of the Nameless Splendor was registered on the wiki.

To be precise, it was one of the classes within the Church of the Nameless Splendor.

Since that crazy cult matches paranormal phenomena according to affiliation and rank!

And the name was…

———————=

Records of the Dark Exploration / Ghost Stories

[Story Usurper]

: A power of the Church of the Nameless Splendor appearing in <Records of the Dark Exploration>. Rank is 4th class of the Mimic Order.

A representative paranormal phenomenon of the Order of the Mimics, which seeks to copy others and steal their stories to use as their narrative nourishment.

A person caught in this paranormal phenomenon is stripped of the potential of their story, and if the duration grows longer, they are stripped of themselves as well.

———————=

To put it in wiki terms, this was a ghost story derived from the fear of an unknown entity replacing me or those around me.

‘The most distinct symptom is… doing bizarre things in the shape of close acquaintances.’

Appearing by mimicking various acquaintances such as the target’s lover, friend, or someone they feel indebted to, it induces carelessness and then stages supernatural horror.

The purpose is this.

To induce a strong psychological state of ‘I wish this situation would pass’ in the target. It steals the opponent’s narrative by gaining implicit alignment and consent.

And caught in this, I had… been ‘stripped’ of the narratives of the 29th and 30th.

The Story Usurper steals the potential from the target to do other things or make choices and makes it its own.

As a result, the target experiences that ‘time passed meaninglessly once they snapped out of it’ as much as they were stripped.

Thanks to that, I was processed as having spent two days dryly ‘without anything particularly worth recalling,’ and regained my senses at a similar time the next day.

‘Did it end with only one day being taken at a time thanks to the silver ring?’

If I were careless, I could have lost my way and drifted along like this.

Because once you can’t distinguish back and front and start doubting what the truth is, you get dragged into the situation.

‘And that’s how your life gets sucked dry.’

Thanks to my mind being clear, it was a relief that it didn’t reach that extreme…

-Ah, interesting. Phew, this time I caught up faster.

‘Brown!’

The sound of the host exaggerately catching his breath and brushing his suit collar came from the small stuffed doll, followed by a cheerful voice.

-You gave away another day’s story, friend! Hmm, but it seems the opponent played a clever trick to induce that choice.

-Was mimicking the people around Mr. Roe a part of that?

‘Right.’

First, it mimicked Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je, and second, it mimicked Supervisor Park Min-sung to completely drain my soul.

It is trying to steal my narrative by continuously changing identities instead of using the one that was discovered once before…

-Hooh. In that case, I am curious as to which ‘acquaintance’ Mr. Roe will meet on the 31st.

-At this very moment, in the situation of the 3rd day, who on earth did it mimic… it will be revealed soon!

“……”

I looked around.

There was no sign of Supervisor Park Min-sung. Naturally, there was no sign… of Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je either.

I was all alone in the rental warehouse.

‘…At the end of the 2nd day, the containment was released.’

If so, wouldn’t that thing have gone out already?

But usually, ‘Story Usurpers’ tend to be obsessed and put effort into fully taking over the life of the person they targeted to drain, if there is a chance.

‘It probably wouldn’t guess that I figured out its identity.’

If so.

The acquaintance who is already familiar to me and can naturally appear in this place to make me relax…

Bip.

[It’s almost… 10 minutes now… I’m going.]

“……”

Listening to the sound over the walkie-talkie, I stiffened my shoulders.

After a moment.

[BEEEEEEP!]

[Sealing is released. Shutter is opening…]

I stood up and looked forward.

The door was opening.

The protective shutter of the door leading outside from the counter of the Security Team rental warehouse opened, and the light that had been red turned back to green.

And beyond the rising shutter…

“You are safe. What a relief…”

Security Team Leader J3 was looking at me, with eyes tired of everything as usual but carrying a slight sense of relief.

“The other employee… ah, are they inside that door… excuse me, are you okay?”

“……”

“Hello…?”

I rose to my feet… and turned my back to the Security Team Leader.

“Uh…?”

And stood facing the wall.

In fact.

‘Usually, when a religious color enters a ghost story, an exorcism method follows.’

There was a procedure to respond to transcendent entities. Like a kind of double-sided mirror, that is.

In this regard, even the crazy Church of the Nameless Splendor is no exception.

‘There is a banishment method for the Story Usurper too.’

I recalled the work rules I had received on the first day.

My Lord? Anyway, it’s a bastard shouting weird things and offering to tell you how to become happy, but it’ll quiet down if you just throw some curses at it.

If you don’t want to swear, just telling it to fuck off is fine too.

It was a bizarre thing.

Even though that second page was contaminated, the hint was correct.

Because.

“Fuck off.”

the method to drive this out was indeed ‘noticing its identity beforehand and completely rejecting it’.

If it requires implicit alignment and consent to steal my time?

I just don’t have to give it.

Therefore…

“Excuse me, what’s wrong…?”

“Fuck off.”

I declared again while ignoring the opponent.

……

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Really? Really?

Even after giving it twice?

“Fuck off.”

“Roe. Why on earth did your language become so terrible. Still, to a boss, what kind of…”

“Fuck off.”

“Uh-huh? Hey, Roe. Your words are too harsh! We have to finish the cleaning. I just want to help you.”

“Fuck off.”

“I don’t want to… well, I’ll just stay… Honestly… I didn’t say bad things to you…”

“Fuck off.”

“……”

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

What a wasteeeeeee

The voice behind my back twisted.

Rejecting the grace bestowed upon us who live the lives of insignificant creatures, unable to affect even a single letter of the origin of this world. What a waste.

If you hand over your wretched story, we will fill that story with the brilliant grace of my Lord. My Lord would look at me, what a waste.

“Fuck off.”

What a waste…

I gritted my teeth.

“Fuck off.”

The strange whispering behind my back subsided.

And…

It became quiet.

“……”

It seemed that thing had given up targeting me.

‘Phew…’

I almost collapsed as tension released, but I endured. Instead, I spun my head relentlessly.

Since I can’t hear footsteps yet, as soon as that thing moves elsewhere, I’ll sprint out of here and report to the Security Team. That should work…

Bip.

“……!”

The walkie-talkie in my pocket rang.

A familiar voice… was heard.

[I have arrived… hmm.]

“I have arrived… hmm.”

But at the same time, a live voice was heard nearby.

“……”

I turned my head very slowly and looked at the entrance of the rental warehouse.

Outside the door, the expressionless Security Team Leader J3 was looking this way.

‘Is it the real one?’

No, this was definitely the real one!

I hurriedly opened my mouth to explain the situation…

“…! J.”

…Behind my back, a voice was heard.

A voice sounding bewildered.

I turned my head further to look behind my back.

The Church of the Nameless Splendor’s ghost story that was there was now wearing the orange cleaning overalls.

“I don’t know what is going on.”

Black hair, mid-to-late twenties. A man with a pale impression, looking back and forth at the Security Team Leader and me with a shocked face.

Kim Sol-eum.

The entity that perfectly copied my current appearance babbled in a flustered tone while looking at me.

“What is this… can such a paranormal phenomenon occur during cleaning too?”

It was mimicking me.

‘Fuck…!’

Chills ran down my spine.

I hurriedly looked at the Security Team Leader and spoke calmly.

“J, that thing is a believer of the Church of the Nameless Splendor.”

“Wh… what does that mean. J, do you happen to know what this situation is? It seems to be the Dark…”

“J! Do not answer. You must judge while only listening. The moment you answer, you will be dragged into the situation.”

“……”

“If you want to verify something, speak to the wall alone… no, preferably just shout to everyone to fuck off. That is the safest.”

The Security Team Leader was silently staring this way with an unreadable face.

And beside me, the slightly trembling voice of ‘Kim Sol-eum’ was heard.

“I… don’t really know what that thing is talking about.”

What?

“Think about it, J. I just… came in to clean for three days. I only realized this phenomenon is the Dark because that… thing next to me said so.”

“…!”

“It is more natural for me not to know what is inside the Security Team’s quarantine rooms. J, please think logically. Isn’t this side… correct?”

-Oh, that is quite plausible.

I know, right. Damn it…!

“And… I am truly relieved that you came. I am sorry for making you end up in this situation…”

“……”

‘It talks damn well.’

True to a cultist. I gritted my teeth.

Indeed, I had almost fallen for it when it appeared in the form of Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je on the first day too.

‘How on earth… did Supervisor Park Min-sung realize it wasn’t Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je?’

I desperately tried to recall that moment.

From where did he realize?

‘It seemed there were no logical flaws back then either…’

What on earth was it?

A sense of incongruity that only someone who had known them for a long time could notice?

Nuances felt in conversation?

‘Or…’

In that moment of desperate review and agonizing, another soft and calm voice was heard beside me.

“Well, J. Please do not feel guilty, and just act as you judge fit. I will accept it.”

……

Ah.

‘I figured it out.’

So that was it.

Pressing my temples, I opened my mouth.

“J, please look at the purpose of speaking. Look at which side is trying to carry on a friendly conversation with you somehow and get you immersed in the situation.”

At that time, Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je was…

overly friendly compared to the situation.

In a situation where one was locked in prison and barely had to escape, one couldn’t act like that.

‘No, if she were the real Assistant Manager in the first place, rather than taking the unreasonable risk of revealing herself to persuade us, she would have stayed hidden and slipped out.’

Since she had items to help her, and the containment would be released if she just waited.

She wouldn’t possibly decide to talk to us right away while bearing that risk.

A strange reaction that did not fit the situation.

Therefore…

“In this strange and dangerous situation, who is unnecessarily making social remarks? …Who is the one with another purpose.”

I spoke calmly.

“You don’t necessarily have to believe me either. If you just shout to fuck off and ignore it, this is a ghost story that will vanish. Or calling other Security Team members is also…”

“Hmm.”

The Security Team Leader stood straight.

And.

“It’s this one.”

The black front claws of a massive wolf-like monster fell over my head like a guillotine blade.

‘Fuck…!’

A split second before I could even close my eyes.

Thwack.

A head flew off.

The head of the mimic that was stuck to my side.

“…!!”

Splat.

The front paw, looking like a twisted massive shadow, made a cracking sound on the crushed corpse as it rose again, and passed brushing by me, leaving an enormous pressure…

And returned to the Security Team Leader’s arm.

“Hey.”

“……”

“Are you okay…?”

I collapsed onto the floor, looking down at my orange cleaning uniform covered in the mimic’s blood.

“……!”

“Yes. Thank you.”

I survived.