How a Regressor Conquers the Tower of Urban Legends
Chapter 40
With a clunk, I opened the airplane door and stepped outside.
Unfortunately, there was no boarding bridge connected to the airport, so the mascot and I had no choice but to open the door ourselves and go out directly.
"...What is that smell?"
Smoke stung my nose.
There was also a strange odor, almost like rotten eggs.
Covering my nose, I quickly headed inside the building.
I climbed the stairs and opened a door.
An arrivals hall spread out before me.
Beyond it was a wide corridor stretching into the distance.
"First time in my life I've had an entire airport to myself."
"!"
The mascot and I looked around.
It was an ordinary airport.
Nothing particularly unusual.
If I had to point out one thing...
"There's salt everywhere."
Salt was scattered all over the floor.
If the entire floor had been covered in it, I might've simply accepted it.
But...
"Something feels strange."
It wasn't evenly spread.
Some places had piles of salt.
Other areas had none at all.
And the places with the most salt were mostly where people would've walked.
Could all this salt be...
"..."
A bad thought entered my head.
I shook it off and looked ahead.
"Let's go."
"...!"
We started walking again without stopping.
I tried my best not to look at the salt.
After walking straight for quite some time...
"..."
An elevator suddenly appeared in my field of view.
And I meant suddenly.
It was almost like it had popped into existence from thin air.
"I didn't expect it to appear this abruptly."
"...!"
The mascot nodded.
Was it a trap?
"Could you check it first?"
"!"
The mascot nodded and trotted toward the elevator.
It carefully looked around, then slowly stepped inside.
After inspecting the interior for a while, it reached out and beckoned me over.
"..."
I looked around as I approached.
The path continued behind the elevator.
The red sky.
The countless salt pillars.
"...?"
"Give me a second."
The mascot poked its head out and tilted it curiously.
I walked behind the elevator.
A vast airport spread before me.
Beyond the glass, the blood-red sky stretched endlessly.
Clothes and piles of salt lay scattered throughout the terminal.
I reached forward.
My hand struck something solid.
Beyond this point was offstage.
"..."
I stared at the scene.
A place where humanity had vanished, leaving only a red sky and salt pillars behind.
Somehow, the electricity still worked.
The departure boards continued displaying flight schedules.
Seoul to Tokyo, departure 13:00.
Canceled.
New York to Berlin, departure 15:00.
Canceled.
Canceled.
Again and again.
Every single flight on the board was canceled.
How should I describe it?
It felt like human civilization had ended overnight.
What kind of place had this been?
Had the people here been happy?
How had something like this happened?
Countless questions came to mind.
But they quickly faded.
There was no reason to go offstage right now.
Still...
"...?"
"What am I doing?"
I sensed the mascot standing behind me and answered.
"I'm memorizing it."
"?"
"I think we'll come back here."
"..."
The mascot gave no reaction.
I looked away.
I'd realized something about these places.
Someday, that offstage area would probably become a floor.
Whether I wanted it to or not.
And when that happened, I'd have to make my way through it.
So I should remember it.
At least enough to sketch a rough map afterward.
When I got back, I'd draw everything I could remember.
I had a strong feeling that one day, I'd have to cross this airport.
Just not today.
After staring at the terminal for a long time, I finally returned to the elevator.
I stepped inside and carefully looked around.
This wasn't another strange elevator, right?
Fortunately, unlike my worries, it seemed perfectly normal.
"Good. Then..."
This time, I should leave more detailed instructions.
[150. I'll write about Floor 8, the airplane.]
[150. The moment you open your eyes, just throw yourself into the luggage compartment.]
[150. And by luggage compartment, I absolutely do NOT mean the cargo hold. I mean the overhead luggage compartment inside the passenger cabin.]
[150. Hide your body inside and stay there.]
"..."
I should add one more warning.
[150. There's a chance things won't proceed exactly according to my instructions.]
[150. If that happens, just accept it and adapt.]
[150. The airplane changes according to our choices.]
That should be enough.
I finished writing and looked back.
"All right. Let's go."
"!"
The mascot entered with me.
With a clunk, the elevator doors began closing.
"..."
Somehow, we'd made it through.
I had no idea how many times I'd died, but still.
Now it should be time for the results.
Ding!
A cheerful chime sounded.
<You have discovered the hidden exit of the eighth floor. Congratulations.>
<Additionally, you responded wisely to the ever-changing nature of the floor.>
I listened to the announcement and found myself thinking.
How should I put it?
Was the elevator becoming more... human?
Compared to before, its speech seemed increasingly coherent.
Did the announcements become smarter as I climbed higher?
While thinking that, I continued listening.
<A corresponding reward will be provided.>
<The reward will be issued upon reaching the tenth floor.>
"The tenth floor?"
Why the tenth?
Wasn't the next floor the ninth?
I looked at the mascot.
It shook its head repeatedly, clearly not knowing either.
I looked away.
"Why Floor 10?"
