Chapter 127: Red Flower Blooming Shrine (3)
『Mysterious Shop』
『You can buy and sell various items using mysterious currency.
However, absolutely do not steal items. We take no responsibility if caught!』
The third floor was a strange place. Who would have thought there'd be a 'shop' in a place I thought would be just terrifying?
"It seems we can buy or sell items using mysterious currency."
I informed Dahee and Juhee about the text that had appeared before my eyes.
Yang Juhee kept staring at the handgun stored in an antique-looking case, licking her lips. She seemed to really want the gun.
"What's this mysterious currency? Can we buy this gun if we have it?"
I didn't know what the mysterious currency was either.
If it meant my points, it would make things much easier in many ways. At times like this, it might be good to use some points for the advice function.
"Advice!"
Ding-
『《Sloppy Clock》's advice. The currency used in the mysterious shop is called 'whispering coins'. They can be found throughout the nightmare, and someone is said to collect them very preciously.』
『If you listen closely to the whispering coins, you can hear strange voices.
100P has the same value as 100 mysterious coins.』
"I think I might be able to use this shop's payment system if I do well. Since we're here anyway, should we look around for any useful items?"
This shrine with red flowers in full bloom was a place where the terrible spider woman existed.
It was quite strange to suddenly go shopping in such a place, but it felt like we could forget the fear for a moment and dream of hope.
Everyone probably had similar thoughts. Soon, Yang Juhee rustled through her designer bag and took something out.
"If we can buy and sell items, doesn't that mean we can exchange what we have for that mysterious currency here? We don't need this first floor map anymore. We have Gu Hyena."
Yang Juhee seemed to want to sell the now largely meaningless "1st Floor Map". I couldn't help but feel a bit regretful, as I had enjoyed quite a few benefits thanks to that map.
But if it's used to understand the system of this "Mysterious Shop", wouldn't that beloved map be able to rest in peace?
I placed the map on a basket with "Sales Counter" scrawled on it.
"Is this how we do it?"
Just as everyone was watching tensely to see what would happen next-
『Do you want to sell the item? Sold items will be permanently lost.』
『Yes/No』
"Yes...?"
As if taking my uncertain answer as affirmation, the map burst into flames and quickly disappeared. It was a very strange sight.
Clink-!
And instead of the map, shining coins fell into the basket. No, to be precise, we only heard the sound of coins falling, and the sales proceeds were deposited into the status window.
『You have successfully sold '1st Floor Map'.
You acquire 100P.』
『Funds. 910P』
"100P for one map is quite decent."
To think I'd experience the true taste of capitalist transactions in this hellish third floor.
It's interesting.
It would be nice if we had more items to sell, but what we had were things necessary for survival like "Lighter" and "Camera", so they were hard to sell.
"We should rummage around for more items from now on."
So this nightmare corridor was a game about farming items and selling them to the shop. I thought it was just a horror game about escaping from ghosts.
"Young-won, look at this."
Swish-
Just then, Yoo Dahee held out something to me. It was a walkie-talkie about the size of my palm.
"Don't we have one of these?"
We did. It's the walkie-talkie I had given to Jung-seok as a held item.
『Strange Walkie-Talkie. A walkie-talkie that works well anywhere. It can transmit voices no matter how far apart. Sometimes strange sounds can be heard.』
『Do you want to buy Strange Walkie-Talkie for 150P?』
『Yes/No』
An item we got from an 80P gacha is asking for 150P to buy from the shop.
Expensive.
As I was pondering what to do, Dahee said.
"Didn't they say a walkie-talkie is useless if you only have one? If we buy this, wouldn't we be able to use the one we already have too? And we might be able to find Seok."
It made sense, but Dahee still seemed to think Jung-seok was alive.
Honestly, I didn't think Jung-seok, who was caught by the spider woman, would still be alive.
"Alright. Let's buy it."
Clink-!
Along with the coin sound, my funds were deducted.
『Funds. 760P』
The points are disappearing fast.
Earn like a dog, spend like a minister, as they say.
I couldn't help feeling regretful about the points I had worked so hard to collect.
"How much is this gun?"
Yang Juhee was still showing interest in the gun. I looked at the gun.
『Sturdy Case. Locked with a lock with a vortex pattern. It might be opened if you can find a key with a vortex shape.』
"It seems we can open that lock if we have a key with a vortex pattern?"
I looked around the shop. From what I could see, they didn't seem to sell vortex keys.
Tch-
Yang Juhee clicked her tongue as if disappointed. Just then, Yoo Dahee, who was looking around the shop, caught my attention again.
"Young-won. Look at this. This notebook. It says 'Ghost List'! But it's strange. The notebook won't open, like a tightly closed clam!"
Ghost list.
It was an intriguing name. Judging by the name, doesn't it sound like a ghost encyclopedia?
『Do you want to buy Someone's Handwritten Notes-1 for 100P?』
『Yes/No』
The price was 100P.
It wasn't an overwhelming price, but with only 760P left, I hesitated a bit.
But, we had arrived at the third floor after all sorts of hardships and adversities.
There was no guarantee we could safely come to this place again next time. Since we've come to this shop with difficulty, it might not be bad to buy items while we have the chance.
Clink-!
『Funds. 660P』
"Ah, now it opens!"
The notebook that had been closed like a shy clam until just now opened wide. Inside were written about strange ghosts.
『Electric Fan Ghost Story. A ghost that appears on the first floor of the school. Just turn off the power button.』
『Invisible Hand. A ghost that often appears in the first floor bathroom. Disappears if you give it an item."』
The 'Electric Fan Ghost Story' and 'Invisible Hand' were all ghosts that existed in my mercenary group.
The first floor mentioned here seems to be the first floor of the old school building, but I had never met them on the first floor. Were they originally ghosts in the school?
Flip-
When I turned the page, I saw a picture of a long-necked ghost.
『Music Room Ghost. A ghost found in the music room on the second floor. Can be confined to the second floor music room if you find the sheet music and play it. The sheet music appears in the science room.』
Flip-
『Science Room Mirror. A cursed mirror. It pulls people into the mirror and replaces them with fakes.』
『Marionette. An evil spirit that pulls people's hair and controls them like puppets. There's no way to exorcise it. It's slow enough to easily outrun.』
It was written about the second floor ghosts. The crudely drawn pictures strangely captured the point well.
Flip-
When I turned the page, I felt a gasp. Because there was a drawing of a woman with eight arms and a snake-like body.
『Gandara Priestess. An unidentified bizarre being. Appears to be a priestess from the Japanese Kankan-dara ghost story, but the reality is unknown. Becomes quiet for a while if you offer a 'sacrifice'.』
『Yin-Yang Master. An unidentified bizarre being. Mutters strange sounds. It's important not to be discovered. If discovered...』
That was the end of the notebook.
Since this was "Someone's Handwritten Notes-1", I thought there might be 'Notes-2' and 'Notes-3' somewhere. Otherwise, they wouldn't have numbered it.
"It seems the one who took Jung-seok was called the Gandara Priestess. When it says 'sacrifice', does it mean a person?"
I pondered quietly at Dahee's question.
I don't know. I wish someone would tell me, too.
Especially this ghost labeled "Yin-Yang Master" was scary.
It was the unknown itself, something I'd never encountered. What happens if you're discovered?
I wanted to know, yet didn't want to know.
My fickle emotions, where conflicting feelings coexist.
***
As much as I wanted to stay in the shop with the bonfire, we couldn't.
We had to move around eventually.
We needed to farm items while moving around and find the way to the fourth floor. I wasn't sure if there was a fourth floor, but if there was, I couldn't even imagine what kind of space it would be.
Crackle-
I pressed the transmit button on the walkie-talkie while looking around the pitch-black, dark shrine.
"Jung-seok. Can you hear me? It's Ha Young-won."
I wasn't even sure if this was the right way to use the walkie-talkie.
Jung-seok had eagerly explained about walkie-talkie frequencies before, but I had only half-listened.
Beeeep-
Just then, a sharp sound was heard from somewhere. It wasn't the sharp sound of a ghost, but a mechanical noise.
We slowly approached where the sound was coming from.
"Ugh, shit, what is this?"
Yang Juhee clicked her tongue at something so terrible.
It was Jung-seok's corpse, with only the torso remaining, arms and legs cut off.
Jung-seok's torso was wrapped tightly in straw rope like a butterfly caught in a spider web, and whoever did it, it was clearly an unusual psychopathic act.
As evidence, Jung-seok's expression was horribly distorted as if he had seen something terrifying, enough to make me dizzy just looking at it. He must have died in extreme pain.
A walkie-talkie had fallen under Jung-seok's corpse.
Oooom-
Just then, we heard a strange sound someone was making. It sounded like chanting sutras, or like the unholy bleating of a goat.
When I turned my head, there stood a man in strange attire. He was wrapped like a mummy in bandages covered with incomprehensible worm-like writings.
It was a man with a pale face, no eyes or nose, only a mouth, and inside that wide-open mouth grew two rows of shark-like teeth, making it extremely hideous.
"...We're screwed. That must be the Yin-Yang Master! Guys, we all need to run!"
Even more terrifying was the incantation coming from that mouth.
It was noise like over 100 monks chanting malicious sutras right into my ear.
Everyone was paralyzed by the noise that seemed to hammer into our brains even if we covered our ears.
"Aargh!"
"Eek!"
Yang Juhee and Yoo Dahee were in pain.
Blood tears started flowing from Yang Juhee's eyes, and Yoo Dahee also bled from her ears and nose.
What happened next was even more horrifying.
"Die, you bitch! If only you had found our sister!"
Grab-!
Yang Juhee strangled Yoo Dahee. After struggling, Yoo Dahee eventually went limp.
She was dead.
"Hey! What are you doing! Yang Juhee! You evil bitch! Why did you kill Dahee! You bad girl!"
I was so shocked and scared that I shouted at Yang Juhee.
That's when it happened.
The Yin-Yang Master raised his right hand and formed a strange seal. The Yin-Yang Master's right hand had six fingers.
Whoosh-
My waistband felt hot. I realized it was the talisman I had put in my pants pocket burning up.
"Gasp!"
My consciousness surfaced rapidly like a submarine rising to the surface, and when I came to my senses, text appeared before my eyes.
『Congratulations! You have safely returned from the nightmare corridor!
Starting calculation for 1 survivor, 3 deaths.』
"...Did I get bounced out?"
I think the Yin-Yang Master forcibly ejected me.
Is that even possible? But what was even stranger was at home.
"......"
Some woman was standing in the corner of my room. I thought it might be Mom, but she was too short.
A long-haired woman was standing gloomily facing the corner, but the problem was that she kept muttering strange things.
━Let's roast and eat Mom, and boil and eat the son. Let's tear and eat the son, and Mom...
"G-ghost!"
I was so surprised and scared that tears welled up.
How can there be a ghost right after coming out of the nightmare corridor! I got so scared that I felt like I was rotating 180 degrees and got angry.
"You fucking bitch! Get lost! Coming out in the morning, are you crazy!"
There's a saying that seeing ghosts means your energy is weak. Right now, I was Ha Young-won, a man with powerful energy.
Swish-
As if my cursing worked, the woman who had been facing the corner very slowly, slowly started turning her head towards me.
With her body still, only her head turning, I felt my hair stand on end.
"I'm sorry for cursing! Don't look here! I'm sorry!"
━Boom boo boom pow-
Rustle rustle-
Just then, Giganoto, who had become a member of our household, popped out from somewhere.
Giganoto pounced on the woman standing in the corner, and the woman disappeared like mist with a scream so high it was hard to describe.
━Aaaaaaagh!
━Geck ko. Geck ko.
『Congratulations! You have defeated the 'Wall-Watching Woman'!
Starting calculation...
You acquire 50P...』
"Ha..."
Beep beep- Beep beep-
My phone rang loudly.
It was a disaster alert. Now that I looked, disaster alerts had piled up.
[Flooding is expected in the Gaeryong City area, and shelters in high ground are being operated. The disaster control tower and shelter for Gaeryong City is Buldan Temple on 49 Sacheon-ro. Please evacuate to the shelter with basic necessities.
[Ministry of the Interior and Safety] 5.22 AM]
[The message sent at 5 AM today was sent in error. Shelters are not currently in operation. The temple on 49 Sacheon-ro does not exist. Please be cautious of safety due to earthquake damage.
[Gaeryong Metropolitan City] 7.00 AM]
"Earthquake."
It seems there was another earthquake because we opened the third floor. I turned on the TV to watch the news and was shocked.
"We will now look at the damage from last night's earthquake. Damage reports are coming in from all over the country..."
━Die. Die.
━Woman who killed people. Woman who tore and killed a baby.
━Groooooan-
"Whoa, shit, what's that..."
The announcer's face was covered with black stains, distorting the screen.
I was so startled by the sight becoming grotesque like a burnt photo that I turned off the TV.
"We're screwed...!"