Contract Marriage with My Secret Partner in Crime-Chapter 8: Mission Null14zk+

As soon as they pressed [YES], a message popped up on their screens.

Mission Null14zk+ accepted by Team Bacon.

You have 72 hours to complete the mission.

Timer starts now.

A countdown appeared immediately.

72:00:00

Seconds later, the numbers began to tick down.

Obscura and Eclipse stared at the screen in silence. This mission was different. No name, no target, no details—just a vague instruction. No clues, no information, and no idea what they were walking into.

"I'll try to dig up some information," Obscura said suddenly, snapping Eclipse out of her thoughts.

"Okay, but—"

Before she could finish her sentence, the abrupt beeping of the line disconnecting cut her off.

She frowned. "That damn man didn't even let me finish speaking!"

With an annoyed sigh, she shut off her screen and decided to rest. If this mission was as dangerous as it seemed, she needed to be in top form. And the best way to prepare? Sleep.

---

Meanwhile, Obscura sat in front of his laptop, ready to start his search when another notification popped up from The Archive app.

Steps to accomplish Mission Null14zk+

Press the link below for the exact location.

More information will be provided once you successfully defeat 'The Erasers' at the given location.

Without hesitation, he clicked the link. A map appeared on his screen, and his brows furrowed at the marked location—an amusement park.

More specifically, the horror house.

He stared at the screen for a moment before letting out a short chuckle. "Huh. Interesting location."

Without wasting any more time, he took a screenshot and typed a message to Eclipse.

Obscura: Meet up at exactly 9 in the morning.

He attached the image of the horror house's location and shut down his laptop. He had preparations to make.

---

The next morning...

The amusement park was already bustling with people despite the early hour. Children's laughter echoed through the air, blending with the excited chatter of visitors.

At the entrance of the horror house, a bearded man stood in a security guard's uniform, surveying the crowd with a firm posture.

A young man dressed as a technician—complete with a utility belt stocked with tools and a flashlight clipped to his vest—strode toward the horror house. His lips curled slightly as he muttered under his breath, "I'm here."

The bearded man subtly moved his hand, making a small gesture as if tossing a coin. He repeated it three times.

The young technician smirked and approached, mirroring the gesture.

A barely noticeable nod from the bearded man. "Follow me."

Without another word, he turned and walked toward the back of the horror house, away from the crowd. The contrast was stark—while the front was filled with life and noise, the back was eerily silent.

Stopping in front of a door marked AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY, the bearded man swiftly unlocked it and stepped inside. The young technician followed.

The air inside smelled faintly of dust and fabric. The space was small and mostly empty, except for a door leading to the costume room.

They stepped through.

Rows of eerie costumes lined the walls—bloodstained dresses, tattered cloaks, grotesque masks hanging from hooks. Fake severed limbs were strewn across tables, and in the corner, a mannequin dressed as a headless bride stood motionless. Dim, flickering lights cast shifting shadows across the room.

The young technician scanned the area before his eyes landed on a comically oversized witch hat. His grin widened.

"Hey, I think you'd look great in that," he teased, picturing the bearded man in it.

The bearded man didn't even glance at it. He simply gave the technician a blank stare before continuing forward.

"Hmph. What a boring man," the young technician muttered, rolling his eyes before following.

As they moved deeper inside, they passed several performers in costume. Some wore ragged zombie outfits, while others had eerie porcelain masks covering their faces. Each time, the two men nodded in silent acknowledgment, blending in as part of a routine security check.

Suddenly, from the corner of the room, a performer in full horror makeup lunged at them with an eerie snarl.

The bearded man didn't even flinch.

The young technician, on the other hand, instinctively reacted. His body tensed, and before he could stop himself, his fist was already mid-swing.

A firm grip caught his arm just in time.

The bearded man.

The performer, seeing the near punch, yelped and stumbled forward in fear, crashing right into them.

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Both the technician and the bearded man stiffened as they felt dozens of tiny pricks against their arms.

Needles.

Their eyes darted to the performer's costume—an elaborate ensemble covered in fine, spiky details.

A moment of stunned silence.

Then the technician let out a sharp breath. "Ow! What the hell was that?"

The performer scrambled to his feet, bowing repeatedly. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to—"

Without waiting for a response, he turned and bolted down the hall.

Obscura, disguised as the bearded man, dusted off his sleeve with a deadpan expression.

Eclipse, disguised as the technician, shook her head. "That guy's lucky I didn't knock him out."

"You almost did," Obscura replied dryly.

With that, they continued toward their destination.

---

Finally, they reached a dimly lit corridor leading to the control room. But instead of entering, the bearded man pressed something on the wall.

A soft click echoed through the hallway.

A hidden door slid open in front of them.

Eclipse, still disguised as the young technician, let out a quiet sigh. As expected of Obscura. Every floor plan is like a maze to me, but he memorizes everything perfectly.

Without hesitation, they stepped inside.

The space beyond was small and unremarkable, just like the last. But Obscura, still in disguise, knelt down and tapped something on the floor.

Another click.

A staircase unfolded beneath them, leading underground.

Eclipse let out an exasperated groan. "Of course. They just had to have underground stairways."

Despite her complaints, she followed Obscura down. The moment they reached the bottom, the stairs retracted, and the passage behind them sealed shut.

Total darkness surrounded them.

Eclipse tensed. "What the heck? Are we trapped!?"

Her voice echoed through the silence, met with nothing but stillness.

Then—

A faint, rhythmic tapping sound.

Somewhere ahead.