How a Regressor Conquers the Tower of Urban Legends
Chapter 23
There's something called the uncanny valley.
It's the unpleasant feeling humans experience when they see something that resembles them almost perfectly, but not quite.
There are several theories about why people feel uncomfortable when they encounter something that looks strangely human.
Some of those theories have naturally attracted more attention than others.
But the one that left the strongest impression on me was a different theory.
According to it, humans have inherited an instinctive fear of things that resemble them because our ancestors needed to be wary of such creatures.
Something resembling humans had hunted humans in the distant past.
As a result, people instinctively felt uncomfortable when they encountered something that looked almost, but not entirely, human.
Why was I thinking about that right now?
Look over there! There's our friend!
Because the thing I was looking at gave me exactly that kind of feeling.
<I recommend running.>
"THAT'S WHAT I'M PLANNING TO DO!"
I started running with the phone pressed against my ear.
The mascot immediately ran alongside me.
"Don't you have a better idea?"
The fact that the phone had called meant my life was in danger, didn't it?
Then it should at least give me a solution.
The voice on the other end fell silent for a moment.
Then it spoke.
<To your right!>
"...!"
I hurriedly turned my head.
As though it had been waiting for us, a small opening appeared on the right.
It was just large enough for two people.
I threw myself into it without hesitation.
<Hold your breath.>
The calm voice continued.
I immediately covered my mouth with one hand and held my breath.
Thud. Thud.
Heavy footsteps echoed nearby.
Where did they go?
That's strange.
They're hiding.
Right. I can't hear them running anymore, so they must be hiding.
Where did they go?
The voices continued.
I kept my mouth covered and held my breath.
Then...
Guess they're not here.
The innocent voice rang out.
With a faint rustling sound, the footsteps moved away.
<Don't get up.>
The voice on the phone spoke quietly.
<Stay exactly where you are.>
"..."
I remained motionless with my mouth covered.
After a period of silence...
...
Something heavy began moving nearby.
I thought they were here.
"..."
Those things can think.
I wiped the cold sweat from my forehead and listened to the phone.
<As you can see, those creatures are capable of thinking.>
"...Apparently."
<Now that they've joined together, getting out of here won't be easy.>
"..."
<I called early because I thought you were about to die. Originally, I intended to call when you used the Mannequin's Hand.>
"..."
Since the call had come at such a critical moment, I couldn't exactly argue with him.
Still...
<You've used your phone opportunity sooner than expected.>
"I didn't want to use it either."
Did he think I was happy about this?
Something shattered in the distance.
Unlike the mascot and me, the monster seemed to be destroying anything that got in its way.
<It looks like the call will end soon.>
"...Thank you."
<It's unfortunate. This really wasn't when I intended to call.>
"..."
Come to think of it, he'd promised to explain how to use the Mannequin's Hand.
"Um, could you tell me about the Mannequin's Hand?"
<Explaining the proper way to use it would violate my contract. You've already used your opportunity.>
"..."
He was awfully strict about these things.
Perhaps he understood my frustration, because his next words sounded slightly apologetic.
<However, I suppose I can give you a different kind of tip. That shouldn't count as a violation.>
"...What kind of tip?"
<Don't use the Mannequin's Hand too often. The more frequently you use it, the worse the consequences it will find for you.>
"..."
<Use it only when you absolutely, truly need it.>
"..."
Click.
The call ended.
"..."
Well, I'd expected something like that.
If the call could continue indefinitely, it wouldn't be a special phone for emergencies.
It would just be an ordinary phone.
"Can't I upgrade this thing somehow?"
"..."
I felt the mascot staring at me.
I returned to thinking.
For now, I should treat the Mannequin's Hand as a last resort.
If I did that, there weren't many options available to me.
"Let's get moving again."
"!"
The phone had bought us some time.
We needed to make good use of it.
If nothing else worked, we could try using the Mannequin's Hand.
We started moving through the maze-like abandoned building again.
"..."
This time, I decided to be more careful.
With so much of the building already destroyed, I could actually examine my surroundings a little more calmly.
The ceiling was moderately high.
Photographs and drawings hung on the walls.
Drawings?
I quickly turned toward one.
It looked like something a young child had drawn.
Inside a faded picture frame was a photograph of numerous children standing beside a single adult.
Don't tell me...
"...Now that I look at it, this place resembles an orphanage."
"!"
But it didn't have the warmth I normally associated with kindergartens or childcare facilities.
If I had to describe it...
Everything looked staged.
"?"
"How do I know?"
The mascot tilted its head.
I quietly explained.
"If you look carefully, all the children are smiling."
"?"
"Have you ever taken a photograph with a group of children?"
"..."
"Sorry."
I hadn't meant to tease it.
I continued explaining as we walked.
"Children don't immediately strike a pose and smile just because someone points a camera at them."
Even getting them to pose together like that would require some degree of preparation.
"And they're all wearing exactly the same smile."
In other words, someone had forced the children to smile.
A normal kindergarten probably wouldn't have done that.
It likely hadn't been a very good orphanage.
But what connection did this orphanage have to those monsters?
I thought about it carefully, but nothing particularly useful came to mind.
At times like this, the notebook was my best option.
