Chapter 3

Chapter 3

It took me quite a while to prepare.

More precisely, it took me quite a while to steady myself.

"...Phew."

I had no idea how much time had passed.

To calm my nerves, I had been talking to the mascot beside me.

"So, like I was saying, I finished work, and then..."

"..."

"I got into the elevator, and suddenly I ended up here. Isn't that ridiculous?"

"..."

"...This place is seriously cruel."

"..."

The mascot repeatedly nodded as it listened.

Its gestures seemed to say, I know. I know.

Whether it actually understood me was another question.

Anyway...

"...Are you here all alone?"

The mascot stayed still for a moment.

Then it slowly nodded.

"...You must have it rough too."

"..."

The mascot looked away.

"...The other people didn't talk to you this much, did they?"

"...!"

It nodded vigorously.

Right.

If I'd just been dropped into a place like this without having already died and come back, I probably would've hated some mysterious mascot acting friendly with me too.

"...Phew."

I turned my gaze away.

Good.

I slowly opened the notebook.

[135. By the way, what kind of people get dragged here? I'm a university student. I go to K University.]

[136. I was working at a construction site until just now. I need to go take care of my mother.]

[137. I found No. 136 near the elevator. I moved the body into a corner.]

[138. I cleaned things up a little, though I don't know how much of a difference it made.]

[139. Looks like No. 138 really did clean up a bit. It's pretty clean now.]

Records from countless people.

How many of them had died?

And if I died here for good...

"..."

How many people who came after me would also die?

I looked back.

The path I'd crossed earlier.

I'd already died once there.

For me, dying once wasn't necessarily the end.

But...

"The people before me probably died a lot just getting this far, right?"

"..."

"And if I die, the people who come after me will probably die too, won't they?"

"..."

The mascot tilted its head.

It probably had never gone down that hallway.

"...I'm going."

Just like before, the mascot raised its thumb.

As if telling me to take care.

"...Be nice to whoever comes after me."

Not that I knew whether it would listen.

The mascot slowly nodded.

I turned away.

It was time to go.

I looked at the door I'd entered through and walked toward it.

The moment I opened it, the dark hallway and floor drenched in blood greeted me.

I suppressed the sigh rising in my throat.

Fine.

Let's do my best.

Just as I was about to step forward...

The mascot tapped me on the back.

"...?"

I turned.

It was holding out another sandwich and juice.

Come to think of it, after regressing, I hadn't eaten the sandwich or drunk the juice.

"...Thanks. I'll eat them."

I accepted both.

The mascot gave me another thumbs-up.

After finishing what I needed to do, I returned to the NPC room soaked in sweat.

I'm exhausted.

"..."

I looked down at the notebook again.

■■■■■■.

Now I knew what it meant.

And I understood why everyone had been forced to write it in such a hurry.

I stepped outside again.

The familiar hallway greeted me.

A hallway I'd already died in once.

This time, it wouldn't be as difficult.

I knew the entire strategy now.

I strode forward.

When the lights were on, I moved.

When they went out, I stopped.

Something rustled behind me.

I ignored it.

Only when I felt strange, or when my instincts screamed that something was wrong, did I stop moving.

There was nothing else to fear.

I reached the elevator far faster than before.

This time, I wasn't trembling in fear or constantly checking my surroundings.

"Please save me."

A voice came from behind.

I didn't even turn my head.

"Please. Save me."

"..."

"Please save me."

Ignore it.

After ignoring the voice for a while, I finally reached the elevator entrance.

Without looking back, I slowly stepped inside.

Then I opened the notebook.

[149. Before the shelter, just watch where you're going. If you're barefoot, I recommend putting on shoes.]

[After the shelter, make sure you only walk when the lights are on.]

[NEVERRUNNEVERWALKNEVER■■■■■■.]

I slightly moved my eyes to the side.

A mistake everyone made at least once.

No.

Calling it a mistake wasn't even fair.

It was something all of us did unconsciously whenever we entered an elevator.

A single trap hidden so thoroughly that even the notebook desperately tried to conceal it.

A trap designed so that people would fall for it helplessly.

As I'd thought before, the mascot's existence was almost poisonous.

It made you believe there was someone you could communicate with.

It gave people hope.

Hope that they might not be alone.

■■■■■■.

"Don't look back."

It preyed on loneliness.

So people turned around.

Maybe because they were afraid.

Maybe because they hoped someone was there.

Maybe simply because they were startled.

There could be countless reasons.

But many people must have turned around.

And many must have died.

That was probably why so many scraps of clothing littered the hallway floor.

I was no different.

Someone called me.

I turned around.

And I died.

The others must have been the same.

Besides, normally, when you enter an elevator, you turn around to press the button.

Meaning, unless you could die and come back like me, you were almost guaranteed to turn around at least once.

Then what separated those who survived from those who didn't?

Was it safe if you turned around after entering the elevator?

No.

That couldn't be it.

If that were true, everyone wouldn't have tried so desperately to warn people not to turn around.

"..."

I remembered what No. 24 had written.

[My advice is this: think about the elevator's speed.]

Think about the elevator's speed.

And think about the bell.

Elevator doors didn't close instantly.

They took time.

Without turning my head, I stretched out my hand and felt along the wall.

Soon, my fingertips touched something cold.

An elevator button.

The voice behind me kept calling.

"Ding..."

"..."

I absolutely wasn't turning around.

Not after what happened last time.

I lowered my gaze to the notebook in my hand.

First, I should do what I could.

I sat down and started writing.

I'd already done everything else I could.

First...

[150. Watch the floor.]

There was no longer any need to watch the floor.

Because...

I crossed out the words and started writing again.

[150. I cleaned up all the obstacles in the first section. As long as you only move when the lights are off, you should be fine.]

I'd already removed all the obstacles.

I'd nearly died several times doing it.

But I hadn't actually died.

If someone asked why I did something so insane...

Why did I?

Once I escaped, more people would probably be dragged here.

And since I'd gotten an ability like regression, I had more chances even if I died.

In the end, I hadn't died even once while clearing the obstacles.

And finally...

"..."

If I just wrote [Don't look back], no one would be able to read it.

I needed something indirect.

Something the censor might not understand.

Assume someone was watching the notebook.

That had to be why it was censored.

Then...

Something only humans would understand.

"..."

A hint.

Right.

I'll write that.

I lifted the pen and began writing.

[150. And think of the story of Orpheus. Don't repeat Orpheus's mistake.]

That was my idea.

Orpheus and Eurydice.

A man who traveled all the way to the underworld for the woman he loved.

He successfully brought her back.

But at the very end, unable to resist, he looked behind him and lost her.

More precisely, Orpheus himself made it outside.

Eurydice hadn't.

Be careful until the very end.

Never stop doubting.

That should be enough, right?

At least by my standards, that should be understandable.

There was one more thing...

[150. There's only one button.]

I should at least remove one source of anxiety.

Let's see.

The button...

If there were several buttons, wouldn't I inevitably have to turn my body around to find the right one?

Then what would I do?

"..."

Why was I even worrying?

I could just die once and memorize it.

Thinking that, I felt around for the button.

"...Phew."

Fortunately, there was only one.

I'd been acting tough in my head, but I really didn't want to experience that pain again.

Thank goodness.

I let out a breath of relief and pressed the button.

Clunk!

With a loud sound, the doors began to close.

Mechanical grinding.

The sound of machinery.

Just wait until the doors close.

Thinking that, I shut my eyes.

You think I'm stupid?

I wasn't turning around.

Absolutely not.

I stood there with my eyes closed.

After a while...

Thud.

The doors slammed together.

The elevator shook slightly.

The normal sound of elevator doors finishing their closure.

"...Phew."

I slowly turned my head.

And met the gaze of the thing whose head was still trapped between the elevator doors.

Creeeak.

It looked at me.

Its head was still floating by itself.

Where its eyes should have been were black holes.

No body could be seen.

Nothing dripped from the severed end of its neck.

It opened its mouth mechanically.

As if that were the only thing it could do.

"Please... sa..."

Thud!

Before it could finish, the elevator doors slammed shut.

"..."

My heart felt like it was about to explode.

I thought I was going to die.

Even though I hadn't...

That was way too close.

I leaned against the elevator wall and slid down to the floor.

"...Haa... Haaah..."

I really thought I was going to die.

Why did elevator doors take so damn long to close?

I seriously thought I was dead.

I fidgeted with the notebook.

Then...

"...Huh?"

At some point, it had vanished.

So the notebook disappeared once you left the floor.

That was actually a relief.

If it hadn't disappeared, wouldn't that mean this place wasn't over?

I closed my eyes.

Right.

Either way, I'd survived.

What should I do once I got out?

Call the police?

Or maybe...

Post something on the internet?

How much time had passed anyway?

If so much time had passed that I'd miss work tomorrow, how was I supposed to explain this to the team leader?

As I sat there against the wall thinking...

Ding-dong!

A sound came from the elevator.

"...?"

That was the sound our elevator normally made before an announcement.

I listened.

<Congratulations.>

What reached my ears was something I hadn't expected at all.

Congratulations?

For what?

As I wondered...

<Congratulations.>

The voice continued.

It was mechanical.

So full of static that I couldn't even tell whether it was male or female.

<User No. 150 has cleared the first floor faster than any previous user.>

<In addition, you laid the groundwork to assist others.>

<Because of your consideration, those who come after you will be able to clear the floor more easily.>

<You will receive a reward accordingly.>

"...A reward?"

A reward?

Why did it say it like that?

Almost as though...

There was another floor.

Cold sweat trickled down my back.

<This is the reward granted to User No. 150.>

Ding.

Something fell from the air.

A ticket torn in half.

...A ticket?

Before I could think further...

<We will give you something that will help you move forward.>

The voice echoed.

Something that would help me move forward?

<We wish you the best on the next floor as well.>

Before I could respond, another ding rang out.

"..."

I slowly turned my head.

The elevator doors were open.

And beyond them...

The mascot I'd seen earlier was waving at me.

"UAAAGH!"

"...!!!"

When I screamed, the mascot also jumped in shock and hurriedly pressed itself against the wall.

Damn it.

That scared the hell out of me.

A clean bear head.

A dirty mascot body.

That was...

"...The mascot?"

"!"

The mascot nodded repeatedly.

Then it spread both arms.

As though it had been startled too.

Or maybe it was welcoming me.

"How did you get here..."

The elevator's voice cut me off again.

The familiar announcement we heard every time an elevator reached a floor.

<You have arrived on the second floor.>

"...!"

Cold sweat immediately ran down my spine.

There was a second floor.

The thing I'd least wanted to imagine had become reality.