Chapter 82
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<Emergency Directive>_Latest Update.
-If you encounter a ghost story suspected to be the Man with Black Flames within the deployed ghost story space, report immediately. (Obtain communication network items.)
-The Department head’s of the team corresponding to the first discoverer must be deployed immediately. (Handle the situation upon discovery.)
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*****
In a dark space.
Amidst the scattered giant toy structures, a man walked aimlessly.
Cock-a-doodle-doo~
!!
The strange cry of a rooster.
“…….”
When I looked down at my feet.
A cheerful-looking toy rooster came into view.
It seemed to be a toy that made sounds when a certain amount of pressure was applied.
While staring at the toy, I carefully observed my dark surroundings.
Under normal circumstances, I might have laughed it off and moved on after seeing such a cheerful toy….
But just now.
That cheerful toy sound almost made my heart stop.
I focused all my senses on this dark space.
The space I was standing in now.
Was the perfect place for such tension.
A space filled with countless giant toys.
The atmosphere of a space where not a single ray of light entered, combined with the sight of toys scattered all over the floor.
It reminded me of the mess my nephews left in my room during the holidays.
If there’s a Ghost story space filled with toys scattered so chaotically and giant toys everywhere.
It could only be one place.
———
/Ghost Story Journal.
[The Dream of Toys]
:Identification Code Cd-C-52
The ones you forgot.
The ones you threw away.
The ones you broke.
The ones you tore apart.
The ones you k▓lled.
This is a place where such toys gather.
A paradise for toys that have lost their owners.
Did you cherish your toys?
If you did, then this place is nothing more than a joyful dreamland.
So don’t be afraid.
【If you can stand tall in front of them.】
If you can stand tall in front of the toys, this place will never be scary.
Physical suppression possible.
Mental damage: normal.
Additional notes.
Enter this Ghost story space only after thoroughly preparing for combat. (Pay special attention to sound.)
There’s no one who hasn’t broken a toy at least once in their life.
———
It reminds me of a certain movie, ‘Toy Story’.
The strategy for this Ghost story is simple.
Just remember these two things:
-Don’t make any noise.
-Find the child sleeping peacefully.
That’s all you need to know.
The setting of this ghost story is that you’ve entered the dream world of a child who loves toys.
So.
You just need to find the child sleeping peacefully somewhere in this dream.
And capture them with a pen.
As quietly as possible.
You must find the child without alerting the killer toys.
The toys here are sensitive to sound.
Fortunately, after stepping on the toy rooster earlier, I didn’t feel any signs of being chased.
…Be careful.
If you get caught by the killer toys, things will get complicated.
There’s no need to take the hard path when the easy one is available.
My gaze was fixed on the floor.
I managed to avoid the toy rooster earlier, but there’s no guarantee I’ll be as lucky the second time.
After cautiously wandering around for a while.
Thud.
!
I stopped in my tracks.
A loud sound echoed through my eardrums, tickling my ears.
For a moment, I thought I had dropped something.
But….
The sound came from far away.
The sound of something falling to the ground from a considerable distance.
It couldn’t have been the killer toys.
They only react to sounds made by intruders in this ghost story space.
Unless the decibel level exceeds a certain threshold, they won’t move.
If the intruder doesn’t make any noise, the toys are nothing more than statues in the shape of toys.
So.
Thud, thud.
This sound must be coming from another intruder like me.
‘Damn it!’
There are others besides me in this ghost story space.
I hurriedly moved toward the source of the sound.
I had to check.
And stop them.
I assumed they were civilians unaware of the rules here.
If they were agents who had read the manual before entering, they wouldn’t make such a basic mistake.
At the very least, they would follow the basic rule of ‘don’t make any noise.’
Otherwise, it wouldn’t make sense.
Unless they were suicidal maniacs who wanted their limbs torn apart by the killer toys.
I thought they wouldn’t be stupid enough to make noise.
Halt.
Until five figures in black suits came into view.
*****
“Hey! You idiot, stop it! Didn’t you read the manual? If you make noise, the killer toys will hear us, you moron!”
A terrified agent whispered with all his might.
The three other agents around him seemed to agree, nodding vigorously as they tried to stop the situation.
But despite the warning.
The male agent with a mischievous grin on his face spoke in a calm voice.
“Stop being such a coward. Do you think this is my first time here? The manual clearly states, ‘The killer toys won’t activate unless the decibel level exceeds a certain threshold.’”
“What kind of lunatic tests that threshold like you do? If you want to die, die alone!”
Nod, nod, nod.
The other three terrified agents also nodded vigorously.
“If you’re this scared, how are you going to pull your weight in future ghost story deployments?”
The male agent, still grinning, called them ‘cowards.’
Amid the continued protests from the others, the male agent reluctantly replied in a playful tone.
“Alright, alright. I’ll stop. Geez, you guys are so boring.”
“Boring? You’re playing with people’s lives, you idiot! If you keep this up, one day you’ll really…!!”
“What? Really what? Why did you stop talking?”
The agent who had been scolding the male agent suddenly fell silent.
To be precise.
He was trembling.
Shiver, shiver, shiver.
?
“What, are you cold?”
The agent who had been lecturing him just moments ago was now trembling like a leaf.
And the other agents were also trembling.
Their faces pale.
Their complexions are ghostly.
Thud.
One of them even collapsed to the ground.
As the male agent watched their varied reactions, his confusion grew.
Thud.
Then, the sound of footsteps behind him brushed past his ears.
And when he looked at the terrified gazes of the others.
They were all looking not at him.
But somewhere else.
Their gazes seemed fixed on someone behind him.
……Gulp.
The male agent swallowed dryly.
Swoosh.
He stiffly turned his rigid neck to look behind him.
What came into view was.
Whoosh.
!!
A figure wearing the same black suit as him, but where a human face should have been….
A being wreathed in black flames was staring down at him.
“So it was you. The one causing all the noise in this place…It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“…….”
The playful smile on the male agent’s face disappeared.
In its place was a new expression….
Fear.
The terror of death.
An S-grade ghost story recently registered by the agency.
“The Man with…Black Flames.”
[The Man with Black Flames]
As the man’s trembling voice faded, the figure wreathed in black flames let out a cold smile.
“I have something to find here. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t make any noise. If you want to keep your limbs intact, it’s best to stay quiet and not even breathe too loudly.”
“…….”
“Your cooperation is appreciated.”
The Man with Black Flames.
An entity recently classified as S-grade by the agency.
Had just threatened them.
Everyone here could sense it.
And at the same time….
They prayed for a painless death.
****
‘Now I can relax a bit.’
Although I had spoken harshly out of frustration earlier.
It seemed my warning, delivered while wearing the ‘Top of the class glasses’ item, had gotten through to the agents.
And now.
The five agents were kneeling in front of me.
Frozen in place.
I hadn’t told them to stay this quiet, but.
Well, it’s better this way.
With this, the source of unnecessary noise was gone.
‘……Just thinking about it makes me angry again.’
Swoosh.
I glared at the main culprit of the noise earlier.
Sensing my gaze.
!!!
Thud.
The agent buried his face in the ground.
…….
Alright, I’ll be satisfied with this.
‘But just in case.’
I decided to take out some insurance.
Swoosh.
I pulled out the third teddy bear from my employee ID.
As soon as the third teddy bear popped out.
Poof.
It immediately grew in size.
!!!!!
The agents, witnessing our third teddy bear grow right before their eyes.
Sat up even straighter.
Their faces pale like condemned prisoners awaiting execution, quietly sobbing.
I immediately asked the third teddy bear for a favor.
“Keep an eye on these guys so they don’t cause any trouble.”
Click.
As soon as I finished speaking, the third teddy bear brought one arm up to its eyebrow.
…A salute?
I just received a salute from the third teddy bear, the kind you’d expect from a military subordinate.
I have no idea where it learned that, but.
Thud.
I left the agents in the care of the third teddy bear and continued my search for the child of the ghost story.
Of course.
Poof! Poof!
With our first and second teddy bears by my side.
“If you find anything strange, let me know immediately.”
Click! Click!
…….
The teddy bears saluted one after another.
It was sharp.
‘…Did you learn that together?’
How long had I been searching for the sleepy child?
It didn’t feel like much time had passed when.
Pat, pat, pat.
The familiar sound of footsteps brushed past my ears.
When I turned my head, the first teddy bear was gracefully approaching me.
Wiggle, wiggle.
Waving its arms, it gestured for me to follow. I moved toward the location the teddy bear was guiding me to.
As I followed the teddy bear, I finally arrived at a place where.
A towering structure made of endless piles of bedding came into view.
The structure of the tower was simple.
Blankets.
Pillows.
Blankets.
Pillows.
.
.
.
A giant tower of bedding, just like the ones you might have built as a child.
And this tower of bedding was.
What I had been searching for.
Our first teddy bear had found it.
This giant tower was where the owner of the ghost story was hiding.
“Good job.”
Wiggle, wiggle.
Our first teddy bear, delighted by my praise, waved its arms excitedly.
Now, all that was left was to capture the ghost story.
Fortunately, today was going smoothly….
Crash.
!!
…….
‘Of course….’
I knew it was going too well.
I didn’t expect much.
Things had never gone smoothly for me before.
Thud.
……Thud?
Along with the sound of someone falling.
A woman’s loud voice echoed throughout the space, striking my eardrums.
“I-I’m so sorry!!”
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