NOVEL NEXT Chapter 10
■ Cleared [Divine Realm – Ashen Classroom].
└ Successfully defeated the incomplete [God’s Egg] [Ashen God].
└ Hidden status [Divine] is now accessible.
└ You can use the special skill [Ignition].
■ Cleared the dungeon [Abandoned School of the Burned Wraith].
└ The dungeon you possess, [Ordinary Apartment], is merged with [Abandoned School of the Burned Wraith].
└ The attached facility [Ordinary School] has been created.
└ A new type of entity appears.
■ Defeated [God] for the first time.
└ [Achievement System] is now accessible.
■ Merged dungeons for the first time.
└ [Management System] is now accessible.
“What the heck is this?”
I checked the alarm on my smartphone, making a perplexed expression.
The [Achievement System] and [Management System], this feels like…
“Status window?”
It’s not that translucent hologram you see in novels, more like an app operating through a smartphone, but it’s definitely what’s commonly called a [Status Window].
A typical cheat ability…
“Now of all times…?”
Seriously, is it now? It’s been 20 years since I was reincarnated, after all.
I contemplated as I looked at the newly created app presumed to be the [Status Window].
“This is…”
It’s not a problem of [Abnormal Entities] or [Abnormal Phenomena]?
Looking at the [Achievement System] reveals entries.
└ Burst into tears for the first time.
└ Consumed breast milk for the first time.
└ Burst into tears. (2/10)
.
.
.
Most of the events I experienced since birth are recorded in the form of [Achievements].
If details about my past life were included, I’d think it was an [Abnormal Entity] analyzing me, but…
‘Is there something that records human activity?’
Moreover, if you consider it in relation to the [Status Window], it wouldn’t simply end as just a record, right?
“Could a real God even exist?”
I know that a true God exists, not just an [Abnormality] imitating one.
“This world isn’t normal either.”
What’s it doing wandering around in such a weak world…?
I decided to ignore it and examined the [Status Window].
There’s no point stressing over something I can’t solve, it’s best to just disregard it.
Like a protagonist, messing around unnecessarily will only make life tougher.
Unless it’s some junk like [Alliance], that’s a ‘type you shouldn’t mess with.’
“Huh?”
At that moment, I found a strange entry in the [Management System].
■ Stored Soul (1)
“Soul? Why is this here?”
The injured agents of the [Alliance] should be taken care of by entities, so they couldn’t have died, right?
“Ah.”
Then I suddenly remembered something.
“Now that I think about it, there were agents who came before me.”
I had planned to pray for their peace later, but to be honest, I’d forgotten about it.
“Guess I might as well pray for them now.”
Anyway, about this stored soul.
It’s definitely not at peace, but it doesn’t seem like it’s talking about a [Ghost].
“….”
Please tell me it doesn’t have consciousness…?
“Then I feel a bit sorry.”
…Right?
“Heeek….”
I covered my mouth to stifle the sound and held my breath.
If that thing that resembles a [Regular Resident] finds out, I wouldn’t know what would happen.
‘I-Why am I here…?’
If I’d known this would happen…
This isn’t a mission or anything…
I’m dead!
If I’m dead, could I get some help getting out of here!?
Kim Yu-na.
She was an elite agent of the [Alliance], still suffering even after death.
*
Where did it all go wrong?
Was it when I opened the door to run away?
Or was it when I entered this cursed apartment?
No, was it when I accepted the mission?
No…
“I shouldn’t have entered a place like [Alliance]…!”
I hadn’t realized until now.
To be fair, Kim Yu-na was so engrossed in ‘heroic activities’ as part of the [Alliance]!
A secret organization defending humanity!
With a sense of mission and pride in protecting humanity!
The [Alliance], which has trained agents for thousands of years, was truly the king of gaslighting.
Even she, who was considered an elite of the 21st century, remained filled with loyalty towards the [Alliance] until her last moment.
Although that loyalty began to crumble the moment she realized even death wouldn’t be an escape…
“Am I… a [Ghost] now?”
There’s no doubt she died.
This is indisputable.
The moment she entered the basement parking room, the car was rushing in.
Even if she was a trained agent, as a [Human], she couldn’t be unharmed when crashing into a car without any defense.
In fact, after being stomped on multiple times as if to confirm her kill, she almost fainted upon discovering her own corpse later.
“No, I’m not a [Ghost].”
Would the [Alliance], which catches [Abnormalities], result in an increase in [Abnormal Entities] upon death?
Such a ridiculous scenario can’t possibly happen.
If that were the case, the [Alliance] wouldn’t have made it this far.
Though her loyalty might waver now, she is still a trained elite agent.
She’s not so incompetent as to leave a remnant of thought upon dying.
“But I’m still alive.”
She’s dead but alive.
And in a state where accidents are happening all around.
“Is it the power of this space?”
Probably.
There can’t be any other factors involved.
“But…”
Is such a thing really possible with the power of a single [Abnormal Entity]?
“Let’s try to sort it out.”
She decided to sit on the stairs and ponder about this space and her situation.
Presumably, the [Back Room].
That’s probably the nature of this space.
“There are many terms, like behind the world or offstage, but ultimately it’s [A-Space].”
Based on what the investigation team witnessed, the source of the 13th floor that appears at midnight must be this space.
“Such content isn’t in any [Ghost Story]…”
[Composite Ghost Story]?
Ghost stories about apartments where non-existent floors appear are quite common.
There’s a possibility.
If they were influenced by the [Apartment Ghost Story], it makes sense that the [Back Room] fixed its form into an apartment.
So far, she had traversed six types of rooms.
The living room of the apartment
A large room with a bathroom
The corridor of the apartment
Basement parking lot
Emergency stairs
And the bathroom.
The space of the apartment, especially where there are more than two doors, is the only place connected by doors.
Except for the bathroom.
It was just connected to the room that only had one door.
What this means is simple.
“It’s more manageable than I thought.”
This [Back Room] is not infinite.
The existence of the bathroom proves that.
Though it appears to be a maze trapped in an infinite space because of similar spaces and multiple doors, at the point where a space has emerged that can’t lead to another room, there must be an end to this space.
“And it’s probably not that big either.”
Carefully observing the places she had traversed, there were a few times she passed through the same room.
It’s not easy to distinguish since they all have the same structure, but there were rooms with noticeable differences.
“The room where I shot the gun for the first time.”
After that, entering the room only to have been foolishly killed in the parking lot, but after dying and wandering in this strange body, she had reached that room several times.
“Each time the bullet marks faded, but that’s definitely it.”
She could say it was lucky to have found the bathroom, one of the end rooms of the back room, but the fact that she had passed through the same room several times means that the structure of the back room isn’t that large.
“The problem is the entities…”
Kim Yu-na stared at the door existing in the emergency stairs, letting out a small sigh.
Being able to think like this while resting is possible because it’s the emergency stairs.
In every space she had seen so far, aside from the living room, large room, corridor, basement parking lot, bathroom, and emergency stairs, there had been at least one entity present in all of them.
Entities that acted just like [Regular Residents] until they laid eyes on Kim Yu-na, then turned and attacked her were getting on her nerves.
If she were alive, it would have been clean to just die, but since she’s already dead, the endless pain keeps piling on.
Brr…
She started to tremble at the thought.
She tried to calm her body and thought clearly.
Without any equipment, it’s impossible for her to confront even a single entity right now.
As a trained agent, she does have the strength to face one [Abnormality], but with both her body and equipment broken, it’s impossible to win.
There’s a significant difference when it comes to basic specs.
‘Even so, I must move forward to escape.’
Moreover, she can’t just stay stuck in the emergency stairs out of fear.
Although it’s relatively safe, it’s only relatively safer.
After passing through once, it might be fine for a while…
But time-wise, there was likely an entity patrol that passed about once a day.
The report from the investigators even mentioned an entity wearing a security uniform.
The moment she saw it, she instinctively knew.
That entity is not one she should fight.
The moment she laid eyes on it, she couldn’t even think of escaping, and her legs gave way, causing her to collapse.
It didn’t feel at all like it belonged with the others outside.
If it hadn’t looked straight at her, she sensed she wouldn’t have escaped even if she were dead.
“I need to find some kind of way…”
Boom—
“Ahhh!”
With a sudden loud sound, the entire [Back Room] shook.
That’s an impossible phenomenon.
A room existing in [A-Space] is shaking?
This nonsense…!
“Could it be?!”
Is the [Alliance] coming to rescue her?!
It must be.
For a group to inflict damage upon this level of [Abnormal Space], it has to be something like the [Alliance]!
Despite knowing the [Alliance] might be in danger, Kim Yu-na opened the door with the thought she’d lend a small hand.
And what she saw was…
Ding-dong-dang-dong—
A bell tolling that could only be heard at an old school.
A clean design, yet streaked with black soot here and there was the corridor.
Entities, looking like students dressed in uniforms, making noise and playing.
And.
“Come with me. The master is calling.”
A tall entity dressed in a security uniform holding a menacing riot baton.
Thud—
“Ah, ah….”
In the split second they made eye contact, all thoughts she had just moments ago vanished, leaving her mind blank.
Had she been human, perhaps she might have felt some tension, but as a [Soul] sensitive to energy, she couldn’t even harbor a shred of rebellion.
“Come.”
The hand of the [Regular Security Guard] lifted Kim Yu-na.
Where am I being taken…?
What’s going to happen now…?
She felt a curiosity, but that wasn’t what mattered.
This is the end.
Everything…
She despaired, and finally.
“What have you done to the child…?”
She encountered the man, her original objective.