187 Chapter
187 Chapter
A good friend.
The preparation for the summoning ritual was already complete.
No more of that tearjerking nonsense like last time—having to make do with a substitute of a substitute at the theme park resort, like someone chewing with their gums because they’ve got no teeth.
This time, I had prepared everything exactly as I did for the very first Good Friend summoning ritual.
The necktie, the silver snake, and... most importantly, the plush toy from the theme park gift shop.
I picked up the plushie.
The plush doll with fluffy fur was, surprisingly… a pink bunny keyring-sized toy!
I bought the gift shop off the Yellow Zone—so how the hell did I end up with a rabbit instead of a yellow-horned cat?
Simple.
"Using the mascot authority, I set up a special sales booth."
[Mix and Match Your Own Plush Doll]
Custom Good Friend creation, in short.
And so, I succeeded in obtaining an original Good Friend that looked nearly identical to the one made into a keyring I got from the RealGoods box.
Well, minus the keyring components.
Now I just have to not think about what this plush toy was made from...
All is well.
Except, except….
"……"
"……"
Those eyes are burning a hole through me.
"You just follow the instructions in the manual to proceed with the summoning ritual."
"Yes."
The lizard's unblinking eyes were unbearable...
But Assistant Manager Lee Jahun showed no signs of averting his gaze or compromising, so in the end, I conducted the ritual while he checked off the manual.
"It never said I had to do it alone…"
But somehow, instead of tension, I was sighing heavily as I carried it out.
This time, I drew the proper-sized circle, placed the tiny Good Friend at the center, put down the silver snake, and reenacted the ritual exactly as I did before.
"Same necktie as before..."
Holding salt in my mouth.
I lit the necktie with a lighter.
Tsssssss.
…It brought me back to when I first attempted this.
Back when I was less scared than now, when I hadn’t fully given up yet—when I frantically tried to find an escape route from the ghost story I was trapped in.
And the being that answered that ritual.
Flickering.
The burning necktie emitted flickering flames. In that light, the plush doll’s shadow trembled as if moving.
And then—
The plushie’s mouth opened.
“—Aaaaaaaaah!”
…….
Huh?
“—Stop! Stop! I got here first pleaseforgivemetherearetoomanyguestsonewhoknowsglorysir?thismethodofconsultingrockpaperscissorsyoucalledmeyoupatheticcreaturesbegone! The Mountain Lord Arriveeeeeees!”
The tiny plush doll squirmed violently as if crammed full of something. But soon—
“Oh.”
It stopped.
“Ohhhhh the Master of the Grand Performance Arrives!”
A chorus.
As if someone already held full control, leading the audience into a roar of applause.
“He has arrived! He has arrived! He has returned! He has come to see you! The one who has come to see—You!”
The plush raised both hands high.
Then…
Spoke with childlike joy.
“Wow! My friend called me again!”
"……!"
In the next moment—
Everything vanished.
The six-pointed star drawn in moisture, the necktie I was holding, the coin, the salt in my mouth.
Gone, like they were never there to begin with.
All that remained was a single plush toy sitting idly on the motel room floor.
That fluffy stuffed bunny.
“…Brown?”
But no response.
I almost panicked, but quickly understood the situation.
“Good Friend only ever spoke and moved inside the ghost story!”
And this is reality. If the plush wasn’t enhanced into its bloodthirsty form, there were certain requirements. So…
“Time to set the stage!”
I quickly propped Brown up against the bedframe, turned off the room lights, and left only one lamp on under the bed.
So that its light cast a shadow of the plush on the wall.
My hands trembled slightly as I worked.
I wasn’t sure if it was from anticipation or from whatever the hell I had just witnessed.
“…What even happened just now?”
It was like countless things were being summoned into that plushie, but it all passed too fast to analyze.
I glanced instinctively at Assistant Manager Lizard—he nodded.
“The procedure was executed safely.”
"……."
Right….
In any case, I had finally completed the preparations to converse with Good Friend in the real world, and I leaned against the bed and stared at the large shadow of the plushie on the wall…
And then—
“Friend!”
“…!”
A cheerful and familiar voice echoed in the room.
The voice of the bunny plush.
“…Brown.”
“We’ve finally met again! How touching! Oh, this would be the perfect opening for a talk show!”
“Mr. Roe, I’ve heard you’ve been through so much. But worry no more. Your most loyal advisor, your finest guide, the one and only friend in this world has returned to your side!”
That dramatic, showman tone.
Strangely, hearing that voice made something warm and emotional stir faintly in me.
“At times like this, a hug and applause are in order! Let’s cue the audience… hmm. No movement.”
“Mr. Roe, my body feels strangely waterlogged, like soaked cotton… but if I had your help, I think I could manage. Now then, shall we stand before the camera together?”
“Haha… nah, it’s fine.”
It was eerie enough that I actually felt nostalgic hearing this freaky voice again.
I leaned comfortably on the bed, watching the plush doll’s shadow on the wall.
“Let’s talk a bit more first. How’s your condition?”
“Couldn’t be better! As long as I can talk with my friend, heavy limbs are a small price to pay for peace. I’ll get used to it in time!”
“Then let us once again return to the start of joyful days with Brown…”
There was a rustling sound, like someone looking around in costume.
The voice paused for a beat.
“Oh my goodness. Friend, where on earth are you living?”
Ah.
I looked around the room.
As expected from a cheap motel behind a train station… yeah, it’s a rundown room…
“Was my body leaning against this filthy wall? My stars!”
“It’s not dirty. I cleaned everything before the ritual… it’s just old.”
It just looks dirtier because of the floral pattern!
But that wasn’t convincing enough for a talk show host.
“‘Just old’? No, this is an insult to housing. Even third-rate washed-up actors wouldn’t stay in a trailer like this—and yet my friend is living here?!”
“What happened to your humble little haven from before?”
“Well… uh. My job changed, so I couldn’t stay there anymore.”
“What a miserable company!”
Well…
Director Ho actually suggested I get an officetel for stability and proper ID cover for my undercover mission.
He even said he’d cover the cost.
But I refused.
How do I put it… I didn’t want to set up something I might start calling “home.”
The company housing felt more temporary, less like my own. But if I made a place just for myself… I was afraid I’d start letting my guard down.
“This place is actually pretty livable. I’ll take good care of your spot.”
“My god…”
“Friend, I supported your independent and proactive decision, even cheered when you quit your job—and yet you’re living in a place like this.”
The plush spoke in a sorrowful tone.
“Please don’t forget that Brown’s talk show is always open to you, friend. Though of course, you’ll need to pass a light interview first…”
“Mr. Roe, is this plush doll currently trying to tempt you into a talk-show-shaped darkness?”
“Well, I mean… it always does…”
……
……?!
I turned to the lizard.
The white lizard perched on the bedframe was calmly looking at me.
Calmly?!
“Can you hear this!?”
“Yes.”
I almost fainted.
Wait. Does that mean he’s been hearing our whole conversation up until now? Even back when I left Brown with Assistant Manager Lee and went into the ghost story? No, more importantly!
“Th-this item normally can’t be heard by others! How the hell are you able to hear it…?!”
“? The subject is clearly expressing intent to communicate.”
I stared at him, mouth agape.
“…Normal humans can’t hear it.”
“Yes.”
"It will look suspicious to others."
"I see."
The lizard just stared blankly at me, as if to say, "So what do you want me to do about it?"
"There are no others in this space."
"……."
I gave up on everything.
Come to think of it, Assistant Manager Lee Jahun recognized me even when I turned into a child, even when I wore a security team suit, even when I had a mascot head on.
‘Is he specialized in mental identity or communication…?’
It’s probably best to assume it’s one of those reptilian alien abilities.
That’s more comforting…
"Mr. Roe."
"Yes."
"Would you like some advice?"
"...Excuse me?"
"Burn the doll immediately."
–Oh.
Ugh.
"The summoning ritual was performed according to safety protocols. However, the summoned entity shows signs of being able to break free from the ritual’s restrictions at any time."
–This rude blade-wielder still doesn’t know his place, I see.
Oh please.
–If you're not even an invited guest, you should at least follow the unspoken rule of keeping your mouth shut. Such vulgar loquacity! Unbelievable—but for my dear friend’s sake, I’ll offer a few words.
–I am a being who respects my friend’s privacy and is prepared to help with anything. Because…
–I’m a good friend!
"Mr. Roe disappeared for a month because he trusted those restrictions. Don’t forget that."
–Oh, that was merely an expression of my tender concern for my friend’s safety. Thanks to it, Mr. Roe spent a blissful month in a safe, fulfilling workplace, both body and mind… At least until you dared to stomp into the great studio with your filthy feet.
"He's threatening you."
"J-just a moment."
Look, I already signed the contract—there’s no getting out of this ghost story world. There’s no need to make things worse between us!
"I said firmly that I was quitting, and in the end, he let me go, didn’t he?"
–Of course!
"What reasoning did you use to persuade him?"
That was...
"I told him I’d show him something more interesting."
–Ah, yes. I’ve been very curious to see the result of that bold promise…
–But even if it isn’t entertaining, a Good Friend will always protect you. A Good Friend doesn’t delight in their friend’s suffering, after all!
"……."
That odd tone again.
Now that I think about it, this plush version of Brown is using much warmer, more loyal-sounding language than he did during that phone call back at the theme park.
Just like before.
‘Now that he's been summoned into the Good Friend plush, maybe he’s bound by that old rule again?’
But unlike before, I could tell for sure now.
That he viewed the ritual’s restrictions more as entertainment than as limitations.
That even though the restriction had become useless, he still played along with it out of a weird sense of nostalgia and rhythm...
If he found it boring, he could break through the restrictions and drag me back to the talk show staff at any time.
‘…Thanks to Assistant Manager Lizard, I’ve regained my sense of danger.’
If I wasn't careful, I might’ve gotten sentimental and too attached to Good Friend again.
Right. I shouldn’t take everything Good Friend says at face value.
What happened last time must never repeat.
"Alright. Thanks. So… Brown, is it okay if you go back in my front pocket for now?"
–Oh, I wouldn’t refuse that!
I finally managed to change the subject and bring the conversation with Brown to a natural end.
Phew.
As soon as I tucked Brown into the front pocket of my jacket, I let out a sigh of relief.
That weird sense of stability, like things were finally back on track.
By the way, my right arm’s goblin-fire prosthetic trembled when I tried to use it to grab the plush, so I used my left hand instead.
‘Since when did it take this much negotiation just to move my own body…?’
I think I’m reaching enlightenment.
"Is it over?"
"...Yes."
Thankfully, the lizard didn’t do anything extreme like snatching Good Friend and throwing him out the window.
Though he did stare silently at the bunny plush for a while.
‘…If Brown had been able to move right now, they probably would’ve fought.’
Honestly, it was a relief that he wasn’t active.
Trying to lighten the mood, I spoke again.
"Um, Assistant Manager. If you came here today because you noticed what was going on…"
"I didn’t."
Then what?
"Then is there another reason you came?"
"Yes."
"Just a second."
Phew.
I sat down again at the table and offered some snacks and coffee to the Assistant Manager.
He accepted the coffee without hesitation, and I sat across from him with my own cup.
"I’d like to hear it now."
I was ready to talk.
…I also wondered if it might have something to do with Team D.
"Yes."
After swallowing a snack whole, wrapper and all, the lizard looked at me and said:
A topic I never expected.
"Mr. ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) Roe, did you have a Dream Residue Collector with you during your last ‘Cheerful Theme Park!’ exploration?"
…….
Huh?
"The company didn’t give me one."
"I see."
Right. I was pretending to be from the Special Division of the Security Team.
Normally, the security team doesn’t get collectors because they’re too contaminated. The collector only gives out dream solution if it judges the user as human—which they usually don’t.
But I had brought one myself.
An elite collector.
The one I got from the RealGoods Box—it had let me extract potion materials from the dream cultivation chamber more than once.
‘That last expedition was ranked A-grade.’
Maybe I should check it now.
I opened my mouth and accessed the Elite Collector stored in my inventory tattoo.
"But why are you asking about th—"
The collector was empty.
"……."
Huh?
"Mr. Roe."
I carefully took out the collector again and checked it—still empty.
‘That’s… odd.’
I clearly cleared the Darkness and escaped. The collector should be full.
Why isn’t it?
‘If even clearing the Darkness doesn’t fill the collector…’
The sentence I had just recalled:
–The collector only dispenses dream solution when it recognizes the user as human. If it can’t make that judgment, it doesn’t give anything.
…….
Wait.
It didn’t recognize me as human?
It… judged me as part of the ghost story?
But…
‘I’m still completely me.’
I didn’t do anything strange or show any abnormal behavior, like back at the Fox Counseling Room.
I thought I was maintaining my identity just fine…
"Assistant Manager."
"Yes."
"Am I… contaminated?"
I met the lizard’s eyes.
He answered.
"Yes."
"……But I feel normal. This isn’t like when I visited the counseling room…"
"Because you were contaminated by a different Darkness."
……Ah.
‘That… might be possible.’
And then—
A radiant beam of light descended from above.
Instinctively, I looked up and saw a familiar notepad and message…
[Darkness Exploration Log – RealGoods Box]
–New item usage rights unlocked! (!)
–New item usage rights unlocked! (!)
A special phenomenon I hadn’t seen in a while.
I reached out automatically to catch the item falling from the box.
A small silver music box.
"……."
The item I bought at the pop-up store.
A piece of Nameless Radiance Cult merchandise.
Darkness Exploration Log / Nameless Radiance Cult
/ ITEM
Hymn Music Box
/ ITEM
Hymn Music Box
A replica of a music box obtained after a ritual performed by the Nameless Radiance Cult.
It’s said that inside the original was engraved the phrase: “To know the truth is power.”
When the melody plays, those assimilated by the ghost story have a chance of regaining human reason and identity.
However, after hearing it more than three times, they begin to spiral into madness and commit horrifying, unpredictable acts. Refer to usage logs here.
Some claim this is merely a side effect of awakening to a truth of this world no one was ever meant to know—and that the true use of the music box only begins after the third listening.
The melody disappears the moment the box is closed, leaving behind only a vague feeling—never to be recalled in the mind again.
Item usage condition: Must be an assimilated being who has been granted the Nameless Radiance Cult’s sacred scripture.
The term “assimilated being” refers to someone who’s been mutated so much they can no longer be judged as human in a ghost story.
So… the fact that I received this means—
I meet the condition for usage.
I’ve been completely contaminated by the ghost story.
And I’m aware of it.
"Mr. Roe."
"……."
"If you still don’t want to visit the Fox Counseling Room, please nod."
This is insane.
"If you’re unable to decide, initiate the emergency fallback instead."
And that is…?
"What is it?"
"Take out the thank-you card you received from the Universal Shopping Mall."
I followed the instruction automatically.
The golden card sprang from my wrist, but Assistant Manager Lee didn’t even blink.
"Now retrieve the cell included in the card."
Cell?
You mean that golden chip shaped like a SIM card?
"Place it under your tongue."
"……."
"Make sure the circuit side faces up, then press it firmly under your tongue."
Normally, I’d hesitate and overthink all this.
But this time, a cold sense of danger screamed at me to move.
"Okay."
I pressed the “cell” under my tongue.