Chapter 11
Creak..
“...”
As I sat on the bed resting, the eerie sounds coming from the direction of the door kept unsettling me.
I had to begin my afternoon shift as the librarian at Belliard Library in ten minutes..
I couldn't help feeling anxious because of the sounds made by the mannequin anomaly loitering in front of my door.
“..Status window.”
--
Mentality : 3 / 100
[Available Returns] : 0
Input:
--
It was a relief that the status window was functioning properly now that my Mentality had risen again, but..
Because of the mannequin anomaly standing in front of the door, I felt as though my Mentality was being shaved away in real time.
“..Five minutes left.”
Unfortunately.. time continued to pass.
The time I wished would stop just kept moving forward.
“This is really the moment when I have no choice..”
Having realized that this situation was unavoidable,
I took a deep breath and began calmly steadying my mind.
“Phew.. Let's do this.”
There was a saying that if you couldn't avoid something, you should enjoy it.
Of course, if I started enjoying this situation, I would truly be insane.
--
[Just in case, I'm leaving my last words.]
Thank you, everyone.
I'll miss you all terribly.
Of all times, something had to happen on the last day..
Please cheer me on so I can come back alive.
I'll fight as hard as I can.
If there are no more posts from me, assume that I'm dead.
[Comments - 21]
Anonymous 1 : ??? What happened.. Newbie?
ㄴ Poster : An unavoidable disaster is waiting in front of my door.
ㄴ Anonymous 2 : Didn't you only have one more day to hold out?
ㄴ Anonymous 1 : Yeah, exactly. If you made it through today, you were coming over to our side, but..
Anonymous 3 : Why did you write your last words so coolly..
ㄴ Anonymous 4 : Seriously.. ‘I'll fight as hard as I can.’ Holy shit.. what a fucking testosterone-fueled man..
ㄴ Anonymous 1 : If the newbie comes back alive.. I'm definitely confessing.
ㄴ Anonymous 5 : Is this bastard performing a death ritual or something??
ㄴ Anonymous 6 : You're waving a death flag right here. Next time we exchange messages, I'll somehow find my way to Anonymous 1's house and tie all four of their limbs up even tighter with the rope.
Anonymous 1 : Sorry, newbie.. Looks like I said the wrong thing.. I'd go crazy with guilt if you died, so please come back alive.
ㄴ Poster : I'll somehow survive and personally untie the ropes around all four of your limbs, so don't worry too much.
ㄴ Anonymous 1 : Yeah.. I somehow untied them by myself, but if you come back alive, I'll tie them up again..
ㄴ Anonymous 3 : Do you really have to tie them up again..??
ㄴ Poster : ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Thanks to you, I got a little laugh in this unsettling situation. Now I have one more reason to stay alive.
Anonymous 7 : Diiiiieeeeeee
ㄴ Poster : Too bad.. I really wanted to try sending you a message.
ㄴ Anonymous 7 : S-u-r-v-i-v-e, y-o-u h-a-v-e t-o
ㄴ Anonymous 2 : Look at this fucking anomaly cheering the newbie on to survive just because they said they wanted to send it a message ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ Anonymous 4 : ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Now even the anomaly is cheering for the newbie ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Anonymous 8 : Stay alive, newbie. I usually just lurk, but this is my first time commenting.
ㄴ Anonymous 6 : Hiding behind anonymity and lying through your teeth.
ㄴ Anonymous 8 : (Awkward)
ㄴ Anonymous 5 : Why did you get caught? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
--
After leaving one last post on the gallery before starting my library shift,
“Phew.. Seeing this, I really have to survive.”
Drawing strength from the messages of support I had received from the gallery users, I boldly opened the door, only to immediately see..
“I can do this. I can definitely do this!”
Creak-
Creak..
When I saw the mannequin anomaly standing in front of the door, I immediately closed it again.
“I can't do this.. I'm a mushroom..”
What was going on?
Why was that anomaly standing in front of my door?
Why?
Why.. were there red bloodstains on that anomaly's hands?
‘Why had it been there again, in the world beyond bookshelf 52..?’
There had been one thing I had prayed and hoped for throughout the entire hour.
That was for the creaking sound I had heard in the world beyond bookshelf 52 not to have belonged to the mannequin anomaly.
But.. considering the red blood on its hands, didn't that prove that the mannequin anomaly had been at the blood-dripping door in the world beyond bookshelf 52?
‘No.. The thing that helped me before.. ..Was that really just my imagination?’
When Anonymous 10's blue anomaly was there,
and when the crying anomaly attempted a mental attack..
the mannequin anomaly had been present at both of those times, so I had thought it was some kind of guardian of Belliard Library.
But what if.. the mannequin anomaly had merely happened to be there by coincidence at those moments..?
Indeed.. thinking back to when the crying anomaly collapsed with a roar, there hadn't been any sign of the mannequin anomaly doing anything..
'Ah.. It really was just my imagination.'
Tick-tock..
Cruelly, time continued to pass until the moment arrived when I could no longer run away.
Creak..
Steeling myself, I opened the door again,
and, pretending not to pay any attention to the mannequin anomaly staring down at me,
I walked straight past it and quietly sat down at the librarian's desk.
Creak.. Creak..
As soon as I sat down at the librarian's desk, the shadow of the mannequin anomaly approaching right behind me fell over me.
“...”
The presence I felt behind me made my entire body freeze.
Even though books that needed organizing were piling up, I simply sat there blankly.
Creak.. Creak..Creak..Creak..Creak..
I could see the shadow of the mannequin anomaly covering me gradually growing unnaturally larger.
At that moment..
Lurch..!
I immediately stood up, picked up a returned book as though I needed to organize it, and moved somewhere—anywhere—else..
Creak.. Creak....
The shadow gradually began shrinking again.
‘If I don't move.. it'll eat me.’
I dimly realized that if I didn't move, I would inevitably be eaten here.
‘Move.. I have to move to survive.. Keep moving..!’
Moving back and forth, I began working as the librarian as busily as I could.
Of course..
Creak.. Creak.. Creak.. Creak..
As I moved around, the mannequin anomaly making those bizarre noises began following me everywhere.
‘Just five and a half hours.. I only have to keep moving!’
I decided to keep moving without rest until eight p.m., and for today alone, I would become the most diligent librarian in Belliard Library.
‘I'll organize the books, clean, arrange the tables and chairs.. I'll do everything I can..!’
…
I checked whether the bookshelf I was heading toward was bookshelf 52.
After confirming that it wasn't, I returned the book to where it originally belonged.
I quietly pushed the chair of a visitor who had left without putting it away into the bookshelf.
I immediately wiped away any dust I saw on the floor with a tissue.
I returned to the librarian's desk and picked up a book to return.
I checked whether the bookshelf I was heading toward was bookshelf 52.
After confirming that it wasn't..
‘Phew..’
For five and a half whole hours, I continued repeating the cycle above without stopping.
If I stopped moving even for a moment, the mannequin anomaly would try to eat me.
After continuously avoiding that thing and working until my afternoon shift ended..
Ding~ Ding~ Ding~
The alarm signaling the end of my afternoon shift began ringing.
“Hwaaah!! It's over!!!”
I was able to flee into the librarian's private room.
Creak.. Creak....
“Phew..”
When I entered the librarian's private room, the mannequin anomaly, as expected, couldn't follow me this far.
Just when I was feeling happy that I was finally free of the mannequin anomaly and delighted that I had completed my final shift at Belliard Library,
Creak.. Creak..
‘Oh? It's just leaving?’
I heard the mannequin anomaly that had followed me everywhere finally leaving this place.
Celebrating inwardly, I habitually turned to look at the desk.
‘The lunchbox has been refilled again.’
I saw that the lunchbox had been refilled just like always, for me after completing my final shift.
“Whew.. I worked so hard today that I think I could eat a lot of anything.”
I walked over to the desk and sat down with a light heart.
I happily unwrapped the lunchbox.
Feeling happy at the steaming lunchbox, I picked up my spoon.
I ate my fill of the delicious meal.
I left a note in the lunchbox saying how grateful I had been all this time.
Now then.
‘What am I supposed to do now?’
What should I do?
“..What am I supposed to do now?”
Until I had finished eating, I had thought that once I finished this meal, I would naturally leave this place.
But.. perhaps eating the entire meal hadn't been the trigger.
I was a little flustered by the fact that nothing was happening, but.
I rested for a while, thinking Belliard Library must have something in mind..
“...”
Even after thirty minutes had passed, nothing at all had changed for me.
“..Status window.”
I tried opening the status window just in case, but..
--
Mentality : 3 / 100
[Available Returns] : 0
Input:
--
As expected.
The number of available returns had not increased to 1.
‘..I should ask the gallery.’
Just as I decided that I would have to seek the gallery's help to resolve this situation,
Creak..
“?”
The librarian's door at Belliard Library, which no one but me had ever been able to open, began to open very slowly..