Why is my Isekai in the Slice of Life anime was become a Horror Story?

Chapter 18: Touching the Eternal Echo of Obsession and the Process Leading to Trouble

It seemed to hear something.

Two people were arguing, with sharp cursing sounds clashing fiercely.

Whose voice was that?

Where was this again?

Consciousness seemed to fall into a chaotic, vague state.

The moment sank into the water.

It was like sinking into a boundless, deep ocean, falling into darkness with no sunlight.

Gradually, it seemed like all kinds of sounds began to be heard.

The sound of footsteps echoed in the cave.

The voices of people talking to each other here could be heard.

Along with these sounds, something echoed from further away, more distant, more vague.

A cold malice spread within it.

Vaguely, it seemed possible to feel oneself approaching the source of that malice.

The intense emotion was overwhelming.

The fury wanting to destroy everything.

No, no!

Cannot continue sinking like this!

Takakai opened his eyes wide, struggling in the swift water, trying to raise his head.

He had put on the rescue team badge again, using the power of the badge and his own will to escape the control of that strange force.

But the moment he raised his head, Takakai was stunned.

He was sitting in an office bathed in sunlight.

In a glass cabinet on one side, there were many certificates, including one certifying Nutty Dutty Cave as a national tourist attraction, framed specially and placed right in the center.

Beside the window was a tea table and several sofas, likely a place for business discussions. There was even a wine cabinet in the room, filled with various foreign liquors.

A carpet lay on the floor, immediately recognizable as expensive.

On the wall behind him was a fireplace, but it was empty, as if it had never been used.

Takakai lowered his head, looking at the desk in front of him.

On the desk lay a piece of paper, a neat page written in Spanish.

"Report on the Collapse of the Second Sealing Wall and Resignation Letter"

A collapse of a wall? A resignation letter?

Takakai looked at the content on the paper.

"To Peidi, you money-obsessed bastard."

"Since the big slide was sealed off, this is the second time the isolation wall has collapsed. Last time, poor Eugene was stuck in the 'blood vessel.' Luckily, because he was too fat, he got stuck right at the entrance, and we were able to save him. But this time, Evan and Bert… they couldn't make it back."

"Of course, you arranged everything perfectly. The guards you picked are all single, no families, so no one would notice if they die in there. After all, you are the CEO of Nutty Dutty Cave Development Company, a national tourist attraction, even politicians have to dine with you, right?"

"I don't have much to say, I just hope you understand that this will not be the last wall collapse. No, actually, you've known this for a long time, we all know it. Since that accident, nothing here has been peaceful. You and I both know what's inside. But for you, as long as the tourists are safe, as long as the ones who die are unimportant, everything can be covered up, can be pretended as if nothing happened, and you can continue making money without any worries. You think like that, don't you? If you really think that way, then I can only say that sooner or later, you will pay the price. I just hope that by then, you can endure the consequences."

"The investigation result of the collapsed wall area is simple. Just like last time, something inside used force, a very strong force, directly smashing the wall. Yes, what I mean is that something inside the big slide smashed through this cement wall, a wall that was specially reinforced, even stuffed with steel to strengthen it, yet it still got shattered."

"I won't work here anymore."

"Yes, this is also my resignation letter. I believe when you read the title, you understood this already."

"This damn place, anyone who wants to stay can stay. I'm done, and I'm not going to continue playing your dirty games. That's it, this is the last thing I want to leave for you."

"You think you can arrange everything perfectly, right? Then go ahead, it has nothing to do with me anymore, I've resigned."

"I just can't believe that one day you would sink this low. But so what? You keep playing with your tourist spot, keep flaunting your wealth, and let other poor people pay the price for your greed."

"—Wilbur."

The CEO of Nutty Dutty Cave Development Company… Peidi? And the person who wrote this resignation letter… Wilbur?

For the first time, Takakai received information about the people involved with the dungeon. After hours of torment in this twisted, bizarre place, he finally found something useful.

This document… is it someone's memory?

At the moment of sinking into the water, it seemed he had touched upon the remaining memories of the deceased's Obsession.

It was the echo of those who had died here.

And this memory seemed to come from someone with an incredibly strong Obsession, as the remaining mark was so deep that even this text was preserved completely and clearly.

Peidi… Was he the one who ran Nutty Dutty Cave?

He and this person named Wilbur both knew about the disappearance of the security team, meaning that when Peidi managed the company, Nutty Dutty Cave had entered a phase of nurturing some kind of Horror story rules. No, not only that, this report also mentioned an accident, emphasizing that all the unusual phenomena began after that incident. That meant, these two individuals in the report may have come into contact with the core of the Horror story rules, even the origin of this dungeon!

Rustling—

The small office was gradually becoming faint.

The echo of the Obsession that Takakai caught was weakening for some unknown reason, and it seemed like it would soon fade away.

Could he find any information directly related to the core of the Obsession here?

Takakai lowered his head, looking at the drawer under the desk.

No matter whose Obsession the echo came from, once he could gather information like this, it wouldn't be impossible to go further to uncover a clue directly leading to the core.

It was just that, once he knew information like this, perhaps he would be cursed like when he was at the Shirakawa apartment.

But now, he was already in danger, being tracked by something, and it was highly likely he wouldn't be able to leave this dungeon alive.

If that's the case, then a little more pressure wouldn't matter!

Without hesitation, Takakai pulled out the drawer and examined the documents inside.

The writing on these documents was very faint, indicating that the owner of this memory didn't value them at all, even leaving no clear trace.

Takakai took out all the documents but found nothing useful.

He pulled out the second drawer, but it was completely empty.

Standing up from the chair, he crouched down.

Takakai grasped the handle of the third drawer at the very bottom.

It couldn't be pulled out—the drawer was locked.

So, he directly punched through the cupboard door and forcefully pulled it out.

As expected, inside was a file, a sealed document kept in a file bag.

It seemed like someone was calling his name from his ear.

But Takakai had no mind to care about that anymore; he ripped open the file bag and took out the document inside.

He saw the cover of the document, saw the first line at the top.

[Confirmation that the body cannot be removed]

[The risk of collapse in the blood vessel area may increase, no longer suitable for use as an exploration area]

[Final Decision: Seal off the big slide, stop exploiting the area behind]

[Set up a memorial at the entrance of the big slide, let this place become his tomb]

[May he rest in peace, may Ander…]

He hadn't finished reading the rest of the content.

Because at that moment, a strong sensation overwhelmed his entire body, like being pulled up from the bottom of deep water.

The next moment, when he opened his eyes, he realized he was wearing a yellow and white striped uniform.

Right in front of him, Fujiwara Chika, soaked through, was also wearing the same yellow and white uniform, her face full of discomfort as she coughed up some liquid mud.

"You…"

Takakai immediately understood what had happened.

Fujiwara Chika, who was wearing the yellow-striped uniform, noticed that Takakai wasn't following, so she quickly changed back into the rescue uniform she had pulled along when they shifted and returned to find him.

Underwater, she had helped him change his clothes.

This girl… she has some guts, and her actions are swift too…?

Takakai wasn't sure how to evaluate Fujiwara Chika. Just as he was about to say something, a dull pain spread throughout his body. Pulling up his shirt, he discovered his body covered in bruises, as though countless hands had tried to drag him somewhere.

When he touched the echo of the Obsession, had he also come into contact with the bizarre force created by the Obsession? Was it that his mind was so immersed in the illusion that he didn't even realize he was walking towards death, unable to feel the pain or malice…?

If she hadn't returned to save him, even if he had collected information, he would have been dead by now.

"Thank you."

Takakai finally spoke up sincerely, expressing his gratitude.

"Ahaha, it feels like I'm participating in an extreme sports challenge! Oh, by the way, Takahashi-kun, our numbers… I think they're both C3, right?"

Chika tried to force a cheerful smile and pointed at the number on her uniform.

Before Takakai could respond, the sound of a door opening and footsteps came from beside him. He then realized they were standing in a spacious white room that resembled a public bathroom.

Not far in front of them, a soldier dressed in all black, fully equipped, entered with a gun pointed directly at Takakai and Chika.

Not human. A bizarre creature.

The moment it appeared, Takakai immediately understood its nature.

[C3, please proceed to the designated area to shower. Afterward, move to the staff rest area.]

The soldier's voice was hollow, lacking any sense of threat, but its finger was on the trigger.

"Move it, don't just lie there…"

Takakai struggled to endure the pain in his body, stood up, then helped Chika—who appeared to be exhausted—before glancing behind them.

The room only had three enclosed shower stalls, numbered C1, C2, and C3. Since both he and Chika were wearing the C3-numbered uniforms, Takakai guided her into the C3 stall.

This shower stall was cylindrical, with a metal door for entry and exit. As soon as Takakai and Chika entered, the door immediately closed behind them.

[Please complete your shower within 15 minutes.]

A cold voice echoed.

Then, a small platform automatically extended from the wall, with shampoo, body wash, and towels placed on it.

Wait a minute…

Takakai suddenly felt something wasn't quite right.

They both wore C3 uniforms and were now locked in the same small shower stall.

Could this development… mean…?

Takakai opened his mouth but wasn't sure what expression to show at this moment.

At the same time, in another area of the research facility, Shijo Maki and Kaguya, with puzzled expressions, entered a small room and looked at the surveillance screens displaying various images.

"It's clear that the exploration team has returned and completed the entire process… so why did the shower area suddenly activate again?"

With this question, Maki approached the surveillance screen. When the system recognized her identity, the image on the screen immediately switched.

The next moment, both Maki and Kaguya froze in place.