Chapter 417: Follow up [1]

’It shouldn’t be possible for me to know. Why do I know...?’

I stopped and glanced around. The darkness seemed thicker here, denser, wrapping around me from every side like a living thing. The faint beam of my flashlight barely cut through it, swallowed almost instantly by the black.

It was only through the blue tint of the glasses that I could see my surroundings, and as I looked around, I felt my breathing growing heavier.

Images flashed in my mind.

Large metal door, rusted pipes, and a grinding elevator...

’Why am I recalling such images?’

The memories almost felt real. Vivid.

As if I had actually seen and experienced such things before.

But I was sure I hadn’t.

Was someone or something manipulating my memories?

DONG!

".....!"

A sudden bell toll rang out through the darkness. The sound crashed against the walls and reverberated through the air, jolting me upright before fading into an uneasy silence.

I looked around, feeling the unease in my chest grow.

’What the hell was that?’

I stared in the direction of where the noise came from. It appeared to come from where I came from.

And just as I thought it was a one-time thing...

DONG!

The toll echoed again.

This time, it was even louder.

Closer.

"Haa... Haa..."

Subconsciously, my breath grew heavier.

Taking out my phone, I looked at the chat. I wanted to see if they’d also heard the same thing.

But—

—What are you waiting for?

—Come on. Hurry up! Start moving!

—Stop wasting time! This isn’t scary!

—Hurry!

"You guys can’t hear it?"

From the comments, it looked like they didn’t.

—Hear? Hear what?

—What’s with this cheap way of trying to instill fear? No, of course we can’t hear it. Are you talking about the hum?

—Watch him say he can hear something and pretend that it’s the hum.

DONG—!

The doll was closer this time.

It was so close that when I turned my head toward the corner of the corridor, my heart nearly leapt out of my chest. Within the faint blue tint of my vision, a distorted shadow stretched across the floor, its body unnaturally long and thin, one hand gripping what appeared to be a large drum kit.

I couldn’t see its true form as it was merely just a shadow, but that was enough to make me move.

Without hesitation, I picked up the pace.

’I don’t know if I can fight it, but I don’t think it’ll be smart for me to fight it. I can probably assume that it’s going to be the least of my worries.’

I moved as fast as I could.

The corridor twisted ahead of me, iron beams cutting through the dark like ribs. The tolling faded, replaced by the low creak of metal settling somewhere deep in the factory’s gut.

The drone followed, its small light dragging my shadow long across the wall.

I’d never been here before, and yet as I ran, my steps came naturally. Every turn, every hallway felt instinctive, as if some part of me already knew the layout, already knew exactly where I needed to go.

I turned another corner. The air was thicker here, the smell of rust and oil layered with something sour, like burnt sugar.

DONG! DONG!

The space opened up around me, a large chamber filled with all sorts of machinery, the drone’s light casting eerie shadows everywhere as I took off my glasses.

My light caught on suspended chains, swaying gently as if they’d never stopped moving since the factory closed.

Each one ended in a hook, black with corrosion.

The hum was gone, replaced by the soft ’clinking’ sound coming from the chains as they swayed and hit each other.

I slowed, trying to quiet my breathing. The floor beneath me wasn’t flat; it dipped slightly toward the center, where puddles of oil caught the drone’s light and reflected it back in broken ripples.

For a moment, I caught sight of my reflection.

It stared back at me, and I felt a growing sense of unease.

I lifted my phone, checking the stream out of habit.

The chat hadn’t stopped.

Lines kept appearing even though the signal bar showed a weak connection.

—Wow, he ran a lot!

—Why did he run all the way here?

—Is he in the wrong room?

—You’re close.

You’re close?

I looked at the last line, feeling my heart press tightly against my chest.

DONG! DONG! DONG!

The tolling grew louder; it came from all directions, ricocheting off the walls, disorienting me as I spun in place. The drone whirred frantically beside me, its light darting across the walls and machinery, throwing huge, shifting shadows that danced and twisted all around me.

For a moment, I thought about going back.

But...

’Where did I come from?’

I had a horrifying realization.

I couldn’t recall where I’d started.

No, in fact, I couldn’t recall much at all.

Why was I here?

What was I doing...?

’What’s going on with me?’

I pressed a hand to my head, trying to piece everything together, but the harder I tried to remember, the sharper the pain became. A throbbing headache pulsed behind my eyes, and through it all, my phone wouldn’t stop vibrating.

Phone...?

I picked up the phone and looked at it.

’Perhaps, I might be able to get a clue.’

I looked through it.

—What are you doing? Why did you stop again?

—...You said that you were going to the room on the right. Hurry up.

—Stop wasting time. I’m getting bored.

Comment?

I narrowed my eyes, staring at the comments flooding my page.

’I was streaming?’

Ah, right. I was streaming.

I forced myself to focus and followed the directions flooding in from the comments, turning right. That’s when I saw it. A rusted metal door, half-hidden in the shadows, the light of the drone exposing it to me.

Next to it was a small keypad.

DONG! DONG!

Hearing the tolling sound, I didn’t hesitate and moved toward the door, taking out the ’ID’ card from my pocket and scanning it.

Ding!

The door unlocked, and I hurriedly entered.

Clank!

I also didn’t forget to close the door behind me.

"Haa... Haa..."

Flick!

A moment later, the lights flickered to life, bathing the space in a dim, sickly glow.

I found myself standing inside a small, confined room, its walls lined with peeling paint and exposed wiring. In the center stood an old elevator, its metal doors dented and stained with rust.

The tolling had stopped, and my phone also stopped vibrating.

I looked around once more, and soon—

Ding!

A harsh cranking noise echoed through the room as the elevator doors slowly slid open, a grinding sound following. Inside, the dim light reflected off a large mirror at the far end, its surface fogged, but I could still see myself on the opposite end.

I looked at my reflection as it stared back, and I instinctively stepped forward.

The grinding sound echoed once more as the elevator closed.

And the moment the doors shut with a dull clang, a faint chime rang in my ears.

Then, a notification flickered into view, appearing right before my eyes, hovering in the dim light.

[Continuation Quest Completed]

Difficulty:

Fourth Order

Reward:

210,000 SP

Objective:

Locate the main branch of the cult.

Location:

N/A

Description:

The cult and you can no longer co-exist. Locate their hideout in Malovia

and find out more about the architect, alongside their doctrine. Best be careful, as the

cult will now actively look for you. They have eyes and ears everywhere!

Time Limit:

6 months.

I blinked slowly, looking at the notification before me.

But before I could even voice out my confusion, another notification rang.

Ding!

A new quest appeared.

But the moment I saw it, my heart sank.