WETRIED TRANSLATIONS

The Legendary Newbie of the Ghost Story Labyrinth

[Translator – Aren]

Chapter 56 - Abandoned Mine Shaft (5)

Before they could begin any serious discussion, the biological system urgently tried to communicate something.

[...^%&%%@@......!!]

Park Minho couldn’t understand the exact meaning, but it didn’t seem hostile. He nodded.

'I don’t know what it is, but I’ll accept.’

At that moment, the world began to slow. Soon, the scenery around him seemed to stop moving altogether as if time had frozen.

The biological system had accelerated Park Minho’s thought process.

It couldn't communicate with humans through words. Instead, it conveyed meaning through hallucinations, and judging by the urgency of the situation, it had resorted to this drastic measure.

A new hallucination flooded into Park Minho’s mind.

'Oh.......'

It was a fascinating sight.

Countless Miner entities were moving with military precision, carrying out Park Minho’s commands. The Minecart entity followed behind him like a personal bodyguard. Rare minerals were delivered to him in great quantities.

Within the vision, the biological system served Park Minho.

The implication was clear.

'Save me, and I’ll give you this floor, the entities, everything. Is that what you’re saying?'

An immediate response came back.

[-@#!%&%$!!]

A powerful affirmation. The biological system agreed over and over again, as if desperately nodding.

‘And how exactly am I supposed to do that?'

In response, the biological system showed him a vision of himself putting on the noose again. It was telling him to use Reality Manipulation somehow.

'Hmm......'

Park Minho hesitated. He had only used it briefly, but he’d already worn the noose twice.

‘Can I survive a third time?’

And this task looked far more difficult and complicated than the previous ones. If things went wrong, he might not be able to endure it.

'If using the noose were that easy, I’d be a god-tier entity, not a human.’

Every instinct in his body resisted the idea. For the first time, he could clearly feel that this would truly put his life on the line.

Sensing his hesitation, the biological system hurriedly presented another vision.

This time, it showed the spikes continuing to overheat it until the biological system finally lost control. Then Floor 8 collapsed completely.

[---$%^$%$!!]

The biological system was desperately pleading with him that he had to save it, or they’d all die.

A question surfaced in Park Minho’s mind.

‘Can you really hand control of an entire floor over to a human?'

The next vision showed its response. It showed Park MInho controlling the floor for years before eventually growing old and disappearing.

In other words, a human lifespan was so brief that the biological system didn’t consider it a meaningful loss.

For Park Minho, it would be a lifetime of power, but for this anomalous biological system, it was little more than temporarily lending out the keys.

'Hmm......'

Park Minho considered his options. One possibility was to ignore the biological system’s offer entirely and escape through the Entity Rift.

But the chances of success were rather slim.

The inside of the Entity Rift was as complex as an anthill. If he rejected the offer, the minimap floating in his mind would disappear. Escaping before Floor 8 collapsed would become nearly impossible.

'So in the end, I have to risk my life and pull out those spikes?'

Either way, the situation was dangerous. If that was the case, then removing the spikes and claiming the reward was the smarter choice.

And even if he refused the biological system’s proposal, the best possible outcome would be escape. And even then, he wouldn't be escaping to somewhere safe, but just another deadly floor of the Backrooms.

'If that’s the case, I might as well become the master of Floor 8.'

The moment Park Minho made up his mind, the biological system hurriedly urged him on.

[...#$%#$......!!]

Its desperate tone suggested that the amount of time they could gain through accelerated thought seemed to be running out.

'Yeah, just fantastic. I really have to do this insane thing again.'

That would make it three times in one day. This time, he might actually die, but there was no backing out now.

'Let’s do it. Deactivate the thought acceleration.'

The moment he decided, the world became noisy again and resumed moving.

"What do we do now?!”

“Do something already!”

People shouted in panic. Nicola, who was nearby, stared in alarm at the spike that was suddenly radiating extreme heat.

“Nicola, it’s alright. Get back.”

Park Minho pulled Nicola behind him and bit down hard on his lip. There was no time to hesitate. Even now, the massive spikes were burning the brain-like mass of flesh.

[...#$#$%......!!]

The biological system’s scream sent a shockwave through everyone nearby. Several people staggered, while others dropped to the floor.

It was truly on the verge of going berserk.

Park Minho had no other choice.

-Slide.

He reached toward the spike once more and summoned the noose. What he was about to do was practically suicide.

The cold noose wrapped itself around his neck. Park Minho’s eyes flew open.

“Gahk...!"

The pain was far worse than he’d expected. Foam spilled from the corner of his mouth.

-Crack, creak!

The bones in his neck shrieked as though they were about to snap. The veins in his neck and forehead bulged grotesquely, while his complexion turned a deathly blue.

"Oppa! Don’t do it!”

Seeing Park MInho wear the noose for the third time, Seol Suyeon panicked and tried to stop him. Even to her, it looked as though he was genuinely about to die.

"Ugh...!"

Bloody tears streamed from Park Minho’s eyes as he reached into empty air. Then he targeted the first spike the biological system had shown him.

He wasn’t pulling it out physically. He was simply making it cease to exist through Reality Manipulation.

'Disappear……!'

The moment Park Minho’s will took hold, the spike, which had seemed heated to the temperature of a blast furnace, crumbled into dust.

[......$##$...!!]

As the first spike vanished, the biological system released a burst of jubilant thought. At the same time, the violent tremors shaking the abandoned mine shafts eased noticeably.

-Thud.

Park Minho finally dropped to one knee. But there were still more spikes remaining. He didn’t need to remove all of them. Once the second and third spikes were gone, the biological system would be able to handle the rest itself.

Grinding his teeth, Park Minho forced himself back up.

'Disappear.'

The second spike crumbled into dust. At the same time, a dramatic change swept through Floor 8.

-Clang! Claaang!

Suddenly, the sound of a bell rang through the tunnels, like a call for workers to return to their post. At that signal, the eyes of the dormant Miner entities in the waiting room lit up all at once. Then they began moving like machines, marching toward the abandoned mine shafts.

They were returning to their original duty of removing the anomalous crystals.

'Just one more.'

A wave of dizziness overcame Park MInho. He finally collapsed forward, stretching out a hand.

Yet for some reason, the King’s figure began flickering before his eyes. The King seemed pleased. As though urging him to use even more power, he beckoned with his hand. The horrifying laughter Park Minho had heard at the auction echoed through his mind.

[……Kuku, kukukuku……]

But Park Minho couldn’t stop now. Staring past the King at the spike beyond him, he gave the command.

'Disappear.'

The third spike vanished. At the same moment, the restraints on the biological system were lifted, and its power rapidly began returning.

-Vrrrrrm!

The biological system immediately entered a recovery process. It began pulling out the remaining spikes itself, rapidly reclaiming control over Floor 8.

'It’s done…'

Park Minho collapsed completely and hurriedly released the noose. But he couldn’t hold on any longer. Blood streamed from his mouth and nose as darkness swallowed him.

"Minho-oppa!”

Startled, Seol Suyeon quickly rolled Park Minho over to examine him. But Park Minho wasn’t breathing.

"N-no! No!”

With trembling hands, Seol Suyeon hurriedly opened a bottle of sikhye, the anomalous drink, and poured it into his mouth.

-Drip.

But none of it went down. It simply spilled back out.

"O-oppa…?”

To anyone looking, he appeared dead. Then a tendril extended from the biological system and attached itself to Park Minho’s body. Like a defibrillator, it began delivering anomalous electric shocks.

-Jolt!

Park Minho’s body jerked violently into the air. But he merely flipped back down like a puppet. There was no response.

A second shock followed.

-Thump!

His body leapt upward again, and yet Park Minho remained rigid.

"N-no…!”

Seol Suyeon instinctively sensed it. The biological system was trying to save him, but it didn’t know where to apply the shock.

Park Minho wasn’t unconscious simply because he’d been strangled. If that were the case, Adrenaline Pump would have kept him alive.

The real problem was that his body simply couldn’t contain the anomalous energy generated by recklessly using the power of a god-tier entity.

To wake him up, the shock had to be delivered to exactly the right place.

Seol Suyeon threw her glasses aside and carefully examined Park Minho’s body.

She could see anomalies.

Of course, normally, all she could distinguish were simple colors. Blue, green, and red. But if she wanted to save Park Minho, she would have to see far beyond that.

Seol Suyeon focused with every ounce of concentration she had, desperately trying to examine every part of Park Minho’s body. At the same time, the eyes of Princess Cavaletto advanced to a new level, shining like stars and scattering radiant light.

'I can see it… I can actually see it!'

The anomalous energy became visible in far greater detail. And then she found it. Something sticky and tar-like clinging to a vital part of Park Minho’s body.

It was ominous and dark. Something that reminded her of the King’s power she had seen at the auction.

"Ah...!"

In that instant, Seol Suyeon understood something, despite no one having taught her. This sticky tar was connected to the King’s return.

"Here! Right here!”

Grabbing hold of the tendril, Seol Suyeon pointed out exactly where the anomalous electrical shock needed to be applied. The biological system saw the brilliantly shining eyes of Princess Cavaletto and immediately understood what was happening.

It immediately delivered another shock.

-Thump!

An immediate reaction followed.

"Kuh...!"

For the first time, Park Minho, whose face had been as pale as a corpse, showed signs of life.

"Again! More! Here too! And here!”

Following Seol Suyeon’s guidance, the shocks continued. Eventually, the tar-like darkness melted away and vanished.

Yet Park Minho still wasn’t breathing.

Seol Suyeon immediately began CPR. After pressing down hard on his chest, she started mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

"Hooh, hooh, hooh!”

She blew air into his lungs and compressed his chest with the full weight of her body.

"Oppa, please…! Please!”

Tears poured down her face so heavily that she could barely see Park Minho anymore. Drenched in sweat, she clasped her hands together and continued pressing on his chest in rhythm.

"I’ll do the compressions! You’re not strong enough!”

At that moment, Wang Wei rushed over and forcefully began compressing Park Minho’s chest himself.

"You do the breathing! Hurry!”

Seol Suyeon immediately obeyed and continued giving rescue breaths. Then, Park Minho suddenly opened his mouth wide.

"......!"

A breath finally burst out of him.

* * *

Park Minho found himself facing someone within a hallucination.

"The biological system?"

The entity replied.

[Communication interface activated following transfer of administrator privileges.]

Floating before him was a brain suspended in mid-air, trailing jellyfish-like tendrils. The surroundings resembled the interior of an Entity Rift. A bleak landscape of concrete.

[The administrator may issue requests. For visual comfort, would you like me to apply a cognitive filter and display myself in a humanoid form?]

Park Minho shook his head. He had no desire to force a human form onto this entity.

"No, this is fine. More importantly, what happened to me? Did I die?”

[Biological signals normal. Intervention by the female organic entity assisting you was successful.]

The biological system explained what happened. In short, Seol Suyeon had saved him.

"Ah........"

[I estimate that you will regain consciousness shortly. However, there is a matter I wish to discuss with you, Administrator.]

“So that means you acknowledge me as the owner of Floor 8?”

[Of course. The system’s regulations are absolute. I hereby confirm that you have acquired control of this area until the end of your natural lifespan.]

It added that the reason it did not address him as Master was because, technically, the authority had only been transferred temporarily. In practice, however, there was little difference between that and being the owner.

"...I see. So what is it you wanted to discuss?"

[The contaminant entity group that harmed the system is currently moving through Rift Sector 17. If the Administrator commands, I can seal that sector and isolate the contaminant entities.]

"Seriously?"

[Yes. Awaiting your command. The contaminant entity group is on the verge of escaping the Rift.]

The answer was obvious. After everything he’d gone through, there was no way he was letting those rats slip away. 

“Seal it. Catch those bastards right now.”

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