Bailonz Street 13-Chapter 230.2

Too much had been redacted.

What the hell is this? I should keep reading. And as soon as I read it, I erase those absurdly grand paragraphs…

……

Wait.

Since when… could I recall the wiki page of someone who wasn’t on the wiki?

What is this?

What kind of abilityisthis​​why can I editthis whatthehellwhat■

‘No.’

It’s crushing me. This incomprehensible, bizarre ability that breaks the mind of a human. My barely regained sense of self, my reason, is crumbling. I have to let go…

[Oh, good heavens.]

Director Ho Yoowon and I pulled our hands away at the same time.

“Cough!”

I heard him pushing himself up from the floor. I hastily zipped up the open zipper at my wrist, regained my form, and immediately struck him. A short thwack echoed, and Director Ho Yoowon fell back to the floor, gasping for breath…

……

“Ah, we’ve been discovered.”

From the other end of the hallway.

Something began rushing toward us from the Darkness, accompanied by screams.

[The office staff have noticed the commotion.]

I immediately turned and ran for the elevator. Director Ho followed close beside me.

His face was swelling from the hit, blood dripping down one side.

“Wow, now we have no choice but to take the same way out, huh!”

This crazy bastard.

I tried to make it to the nearest elevator, but…

‘Too far.’

The numbers on it flickered strangely. No telling when it would arrive. Then…

Ding-dong.

I pressed the left-hand elevator call button again.

The one that went even deeper underground.

—-!!

A strange sound came from behind me.

As soon as the elevator doors opened, I stepped in and pressed the close button.

Through the open elevator doors, I saw the lights in the hallway flick on one by one from the far end…

Clack, clack, clack…

Darknesses vanished violently, step by step, as it approached.

Right before the lights reached the elevator.

Thunk.

The doors closed.

…Successfully sealed off from Basement Floor 29.

‘Huu.’

“Congratulations. You escaped!”

Director Ho smiled faintly, then began tidying his bloodied face and disheveled clothes.

His movements had a compulsive edge to them.

Jingle.

The chime from the bell tied to one of my horns rang, calming me slightly.

‘…What was that?’

That ability, like editing a wiki page… No, why did it feel so natural to use it? How on earth?

‘Since when have I been able to do that?’

I don’t know. Maybe ever since I became like this… No. I can’t be sure.

Even now, I feel like I could do it again if I tried. But if I did, it feels like I’d cross a line I shouldn’t cross and fall apart…

My mental framework would.

[Think of circus performers, Friend. They can push their joints beyond their limits to put on an amazing show, but one wrong move and the bones shatter.]

[Mr. Roe Deer. Your astounding performance also seems to require practice and understanding!]

Right.

It’s not something I can properly use while I’m still myself.

‘I’ll use it carefully.’

And why I can even do such a thing… I’ll calmlyquietlydeeplyuntildeath… No.

‘I’m going crazy.’

For now, I should avoid thinking about it. Even that seems to be affecting my brain.

‘Stay calm.’

Focus on what I need right here and now.

For example, the facts I just learned from that wiki-like document I pulled up with my ability.

I took a deep mental breath and turned to Director Ho.

This director named Ho Yoowon.

And probably… the counselor from the Fox Counseling Room.

“Roe Deer-nim?”

So he really was the same person.

A faint shock rippled through my mind but I quickly pushed it down.

I had certainly received counseling from the Fox Counseling Room before. Back then, the counselor had seemed like a good one… but ghost stories often carry dual natures.

‘What matters is this.’

The current situation.

I couldn’t easily erase Director Ho Yoowon.

Director Ho Yoowon couldn’t easily put a binding on me either.

We were at a stalemate.

And I wasn’t the only one who noticed this strange balance of power.

“It seems it would be difficult for one side to completely overpower the other, Roe Deer-nim.”

……

“Doesn’t that make us a good pair to travel together? It’s a situation where it’d be hard to use the other as bait and run away, isn’t it?”

Do whatever you want.

Because…

[Oh dear, I’m afraid that’s the wrong answer! Mr. Roe Deer has a Good Friend by his side who will always come to his aid.]

Even in a critical moment, he would serve as lethal defense. As long as the host didn’t take an interest in the other side instead.

And so I allowed Director Ho Yoowon to accompany me.

Thus began a strange exploration of the Cheerful Research Institute with two people who couldn’t even collect a single drop of Dream Essence.

“I’ll be in your care, Roe Deer-nim.”

I felt a pang in my stomach. Now that I actually knew where my stomach was located, the sensation felt all the more real… Huu.

Folding my arms, I turned my gaze toward the floor panel of the elevator, wanting to sigh.

‘And since I took the left-hand elevator of all things…’

From here on, we would be going to the deeper levels.

Inside the still unmoving elevator, I checked the buttons.

Even further down, beyond Basement Level 30

Basement Floor 30~39 – The Office in Celebration

On these levels, the Cheerful Research Institute is in a celebratory state, typically characterized by noise and audible laughter.

Hallways frequently feature celebratory decorations such as balloons, confetti, and canopies.

All attempts to read congratulatory messages written on the canopies have ended in failure, with a 60% probability of inducing mental confusion.

Entity activity is highly active, and so caution is advised. However, they are confirmed to be relatively less hostile.

Risk Level : Moderate

“Will you go lower, Roe Deer-nim?”

Maybe.

If I was going to take the risk, I might as well go further down…

Basement Floor 40~49 – The Office at Debate

On these levels, loud arguments can be heard from several offices. Explorers have often described these sounds as resembling high-stakes corporate decision-making.

While the content of the conversations seems faintly audible, focusing on them prevents comprehension and causes loss of orientation, making it impossible to locate the elevator.

However, entities rarely leave the office rooms where discussions are ongoing, resulting in low external activity.

Risk Level : Moderately High

Going that deep might not be a bad choice either.

‘I’ll get off at Basement Floor 39 first.’

But as my gaze slid down the panel…

“Oh. Please look this way.”

Director Ho Yoowon pointed.

At the very bottom of the panel.

A solitary, alien-looking number.

[ 96 ]

‘…!!’

Way down there.

A floor number that shouldn’t exist in reality.

The depths of this ghost story.

Basement Floor 90~99 – [REDACTED]

Do not press the elevator buttons. If pressed by mistake, close your eyes, press the elevator’s close-door button, and escape to another floor.

Access is prohibited to all regular employees, including but not limited to those from the Field Exploration Team, Research Team, and Security Team.

Risk Level : [REDACTED]

There it was, the button leading to that place.

“……”

A dangerous option.

A situation where no one in their right mind would press it.

But.

“Roe Deer-nim, aren’t you at least curious—”

I pressed the button.

“…!!”

The elevator began to move.

Downward, into the depths.

Salt Goblin

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