Chapter 3

Creeeeak...

The prison door opened with the sound of rusty hinges grinding.

The Hunter took the lead, and as Agartha and I crossed the threshold, we saw rows of iron bars stretching out before us.

So this really was the underground prison from the prologue. But wait, why can I see so clearly?

I blinked a few times, but contrary to my memories, the prison interior was incredibly bright.

Originally, the underground prison was supposed to be dark and gloomy, like something out of a horror game. If you controlled badly, you'd bump into walls or go backwards instead of forwards. Even with brightness settings maxed out, you couldn't see shit, always on edge about skeletons or ghosts popping out.

Now this is how a game should be. So much better.

"It's brighter than I expected. Makes it easier to move around. I heard underground prisons are usually pitch black."

"Huh?"

Agartha looked at me with a bewildered expression. Why is she staring at me like I've said something ridiculous?

"What? Isn't this pretty bright?"

"No, you think this is bright?"

She blinked in confusion. Come on, where do these people normally live if they think this is dark? Aren't thieves supposed to have better night vision than average joes like me?

Apparently annoyed by our chatter, the Hunter turned his head back.

"...Shut up."

"But Tanton says it's bright in here."

"Must have fish eyes to see well in the dark. Stop yapping and watch where you're going."

The Hunter's tone was slightly less gruff, as if he was trying to joke. Still, making fun of someone's looks is not cool. I used to have girls following me around calling me "handsome oppa" in my twenties...

As I was walking along, lost in thought, the Hunter spoke up.

"There's definitely no one here."

"What did I tell you?"

Agartha smirked, and the Hunter just nodded.

After walking aimlessly for a while, we reached the end of the corridor where there was a dead end and stairs leading up. On the dead-end wall, there was some writing that looked like it had been carved with sharp claws.

As a modern person with compulsory education, I instinctively started reading the text. I couldn't help but lean in closer.

-Hello everyone! Today we're going to learn about 'How to Defeat Outer Gods'!

That's right... the method for 'Defeating Outer Gods' is really difficult.

It's so sad that many knights have lost their lives trying to do this... ㅠㅠ

Recently, it's been said that using weapons made from Outer God flesh can help in 'Defeating Outer Gods', but I'm not too sure about the details;;

So, many knights are still researching this topic. I hope they find an answer soon!

That's all for our story on 'How to Defeat Outer Gods'!

...

What the hell? This reads like something off a Naver blog.

As I was about to reread the bizarre content, someone grabbed my neck and forcibly pulled me away from the writing. It was the Hunter, who had been walking ahead, now glaring at me with sharp eyes.

"First rule of Rondan: Don't read writing on walls or books that wasn't made by humans. Even a lunatic should know this, right?"

The Hunter practically threw me to the opposite side of the wall with the writing, causing me to land hard on my butt.

"Are you okay? You don't feel like your mind is being corrupted or anything, right?"

Agartha approached me with a worried expression and started shaking my body.

I'd forgotten something crucial. One of the taboos in Snow Castle: don't read the writing.

In the game, reading shocking text was supposed to decrease your sanity. But I didn't feel anything at all. The writing wasn't even shocking, more like childish scribbles on a wall. It was shocking in its own way, I guess. Anyway...

"Can you hear my voice? Snap out of it! Don't give in! Tanton!"

Agartha was shaking me like she was trying to wake someone on the verge of death. I felt like I was going to puke...

I reached out to push Agartha away.

"Whoa?"

But Agartha didn't let go of me completely. The momentum shifted towards the lighter Agartha.

To avoid falling, I stretched out my arm to support myself on the ground, ending up in a position that looked like I was about to pounce on her!

With our faces nearly touching, Agartha's cheeks turned red.

"Even if you've lost your mind, we shouldn't do this here..."

Startled by her sudden nonsense, I quickly got up.

Ignoring our little skit, the Hunter casually tossed out a comment.

"You couldn't possibly read that writing, could you?"

"Uh... yeah? Why could I read it?"

"You say you could read it..."

The Hunter spoke in an even lower voice than before.

Honestly, I don't know why I could read it either. And was that gibberish really what was written there?

I never progressed far enough in the story to be able to read that stuff anyway. How would a noob like me know about that?

"These days, few humans can read text. Instead, magic is used to erase memories related to letters. Inscriptions made by Outer Gods would drive you mad if you understood them.

Yet, you seem fine."

The Hunter approached me with rough steps and brought his face close to mine. His eyes were scrutinizing me, as if trying to figure something out.

"What are you?"

Look, even if you ask me like that, I really have no idea why I could read it! If I already knew the whole game story and was just following along, I wouldn't feel so wronged.

Now even Agartha came closer, her eyes sparkling.

"Are you perhaps a mystic scholar? Or as the writing said, a lunatic who can read text?

Then you might not go mad from reading. After all, you can't drive someone mad if they're already insane."

Maybe it would be better to just say I'm a mystic scholar? That was one of the builds the Hunter could choose in this game.

...But I'd never played that route, so I knew absolutely nothing about it. If I tried to bluff my way through with something I didn't know, I might get caught eventually and end up in deep trouble.

Both of them were staring at me uncomfortably, waiting for my answer. Can't we just ignore this and move on? Seriously.

Swallowing the urge to cry tears of blood, I repeated what was written on the paper.

"I'm... a lunatic... so maybe that's why I'm fine?"

Ah, shit. The whole world seems determined to make me out as a mental patient.

Apparently moved by my words, Agartha clenched her fist and shouted.

"I knew it! You were arrested for parading naked in the streets because of your mental illness, right?!"

"No, it's not that extreme..."

Agartha gripped my shoulders even tighter.

"You don't have to be ashamed!"

They say the loudest voice wins. Agartha's voice, which instantly crushed my excuses, was as loud as a train whistle. Had she eaten a steam engine or something?

Her eyes even started to tear up, making the situation even more awkward. But her lips were trembling slightly. Maybe to hide it, she lowered her head and started scolding the Hunter.

"How dare you scare someone who's mentally ill! Of course he might read things carelessly!"

Even the Hunter seemed taken aback by her brazenness, his eyes widening for a moment before he frowned and grabbed his forehead.

"What a fantastic duo you two make."

The Hunter shook his head and started walking forward again.

Sigh. Life, you bitch.

But seriously, why am I still sane after reading that text? I don't actually have a mental illness, right?

No way. That can't be it. It's just a little different from the game, that's all.

...I gritted my teeth internally, trying to rationalize as I followed the Hunter.

After climbing the stairs, we entered a huge hall of the underground prison. If my memory serves me right, there should be a massive 'thing' here. The first Outer God to appear in the story. The so-called Observer of the Underground Prison.

I don't know why an Outer God was in a prison meant for humans since I never finished the game, but I remember suffering a lot because of that bastard nicknamed the 'Newbie Slicer'. Just thinking about it made my blood boil.

Around that time, the place where that Outer God should be started to come into view. And when I saw what was inside, I was shocked.

"What the hell is this?"

In the place where that Outer God should have been, there was nothing. Instead, a cute girl with wolf ears was sleeping soundly, making soft snoring noises.

I felt a strange sense of déjà vu, like I'd seen her somewhere before.

Confused by this unexpected development, I looked at the Hunter and Agartha for answers, but their expressions only bewildered me more.

Agartha was trembling in fear, her pupils constricted, while the Hunter was staring at the girl in the cell with the most murderous look I'd seen yet.

That expression on the Hunter's face was exactly how he looked when facing an Outer God.

Which means that really is an Outer God, but...

The Hunter sees it as an Outer God, but I don't. The unnaturally bright underground prison. The wall text that should have been crudely written but looked like a blogger's post. The Outer God in the form of a young girl.

The events of that day flashed through my mind like a panorama.

Join the Super Chicken Club, ya goon. If ya like it, shut up and smash that like button!

Finally, everything I'd experienced started to make sense.

That's right. I hadn't just been transported into Snow Castle.

I'd been transported into Snow Castle with the Super Chicken Mod installed.