WETRIED TRANSLATIONS

The Legendary Newbie of the Ghost Story Labyrinth

[Translator – Aren]

Chapter 8 - Mannequin (4)

ㄴ(Cheezza) Hurry up and say it. What is it?

ㄴ(KimChilsung) Banana milk is the answer. That yellow. chunky banana milk! It’ll boost your awakened ability like crazy!

Park Minho immediately let out a sigh.

"Ah, goddamnit… Is this guy at war with anything not a drink?”

ㄴ(Cheezza) You’re telling me banana milk boosts my powers? Stop talking bullshit.

But unexpectedly, other users were backing up KimChilsung.

ㄴThe old guy’s obsessed with drinks, but he’s not wrong.

ㄴYou still don’t get it? Drinks here aren’t the same as outside.

ㄴLike he said before. Stuff like sikhye has healing effects. Think of it like a potion.

ㄴ(Cheezza) Srsly? That makes no sense.

ㄴ(LostHassan) I’ve said this over and over. What doesn’t make sense here? Drop your common sense, dumbass. You’re in the Backrooms. Even a convenience store is basically an alchemy lab here.

It was bizarre. Ordinary drinks outside had special effects in this place?

ㄴ(Cheezza) So where do I find this legendary banana milk then?

ㄴ(KimChilsung) There should be an unlooted convenience store! Shrink one from a fridge that’s still running. Otherwise, you’re dead!

ㄴ(Cheezza) All the shops on this floor are completely empty, though.

ㄴ(KimChilsung) No. They’re rare, but there are proper stores!

ㄴ(Cheezza) And how the hell do I find one? This place is huge, and I have no idea where anything is.

Kim Chilsung pointed out something he had overlooked.

ㄴ(KimChilsung) CCTV!

"Ah......! Right."

Park Minho immediately rushed to the large screen. Dozens of CCTV feeds were split across it, though about half were dead and showed only black screens.

"...Hmm."

No matter how hard he looked, he couldn’t spot one, though. Just as disappointment began to set in, something occurred to him.

'There might be cameras not shown on this screen.'

He quickly moved to the control computer and started operating it.

-Click. Click.

After some fiddling, new CCTV feeds appeared. And not long after, he found it.

"There it is! There!”

In this world of empty stores, there was a proper convenience store. It looked partially wrecked, but the fridge lights still seemed to be on.

ㄴ(Cheezza) Found it. It really is there. I think it’s in zone A1. I should be able to get there using the signs.

ㄴ(KimChilsung) Good. Now go and chug it like a man!

ㄴ(Cheezza) This feels sketchy as hell. Drink it and then what?

ㄴ(KimChilsung) You get the buff, then go straight in and fight! If you cut down the higher-tier one, the lower ones won’t come after you anymore! In battle, you need to take out the leader first! Hah!

ㄴ(Cheezza) Erm, are you even hearing yourself…?

Knowing something and actually doing it were completely different things. But KimChilsung seemed to be serious.

ㄴ(KimChilsung) Your ability can scare it off, but it’s still weak. If you want to kill it for real, you need to strengthen it!

ㄴ(Cheezza) That’s insane. And how am I supposed to find the higher-tier one anyway?

ㄴ(KimChilsung)CCTV.

Unexpectedly, the other users sided with KimChilsung.

ㄴ(Pitbull) It’s insanely risky, but you don’t really have another option here. If you take down the boss, you should be safe.

ㄴ(Chiavelli) You’re the promising prospect I keep my eye on, so you can pull it off, right?

ㄴ(LostHassan) It sounds reckless, but I think Chilsung-hyung’s plan is right. Got a better idea? If you’ve got a problem with it, do whatever you want.

Whether it was fear or pressure, Park Minho hesitated.

ㄴ(Cheezza) Why not just use this chance to move to another floor? Why is everyone so violent?

ㄴ(LostHassan) You think we don’t know that? Problem is, you’re not likely to pull that off in a few hours.

ㄴ(Cheezza) So how do I even get to another floor from here?

ㄴ(LostHassan) Simple. As you wander around, you’ll find a blurry poster, looking like it’s been mosaic’d. Touch it, and you’ll immediately move to the next floor.

ㄴ(Cheezza) So not stairs this time?

ㄴ(LostHassan) Each floor’s different. The problem is finding that poster is like finding a needle in a haystack.

Pitbull added further explanation.

ㄴ(Pitbull) If you’re lucky, you might find it in a few days. But sometimes people don’t find one even after months. I told you that the Backrooms are insanely vast.

ㄴ(Cheezza) How vast are we talking?

ㄴ(Pitbull) No one knows. Even if you’ve got about 5 hours until reopening, you’re not likely to find it in time. That’s why we’re telling you to come up with a plan. Of course, if you do find a poster, just jump in immediately.

ㄴ(Cheezza) Yeah, I get it. Fuck…This Backrooms crap is srsly the worst.

Seeing Park Minho hesitate, KimChilsung pointed out something he hadn’t considered.

ㄴ(KimChilsung) I know you’re scared. But you have to move when it’s time to move if you want to live! And don’t chicken out. That higher-tier one you ran into? It might actually be more scared than you think!

ㄴ(Cheezza) What do you mean by that?

ㄴ(KimChilsung) I thought about why it shed its mannequin shell and revealed its true form.

ㄴ(Cheezza) To get stronger, right? Like a boss entering phase two or something.

ㄴ(KimChilsung) No. After thinking it through, I’m convinced it ditched its heavy shell purely to counterattack! I’m telling you. My instincts are screaming!

The users were split on that take.

ㄴOld man, that sounds like bullshit.

ㄴNo, he might be right. Facelings are more cautious than you think.

ㄴIf you exploit that opening and strike first, you might survive. Ever heard the saying “If you’re willing to die, you live?”

ㄴYeah, except that saying ignores the 90% who actually just die.

ㄴLMAOOOO ;;

Park Minho, but his lip, thinking. Honestly, KimChilsung’s words did make some sense to him.

ㄴ(Cheezza) Yeah, it did seem scared. I just barely survived, so my mental state is pretty much shattered rn…

ㄴ(KimChilsung) Of course it is. Nothing to be ashamed of! If your heart’s pounding too hard, go find some sujeonggwa at the convenience store! It’ll stabilize your mind!

Park Minho began searching for it using the CCTV.

"Hmm......"

It didn’t show up easily. After searching for a while, his eyes suddenly widened.

"Is that it…?”

Surprisingly, the creature was hiding in an area filled with black display shelves.

It probably thought it was well hidden, but it was completely visible on CCTV. It sat between the shelves, peeking its head out nervously.

'That thing…is actually scared?’

It looked like it was trying to hide until the mall reopened.

Without realizing it, Park Minho licked his lips.

'If that’s the case, this might actually be doable, right?'

For the next few hours, he might be able to go from prey to hunter.

The area was labeled C4. According to the map in the control room, it was a large event zone.

ㄴ(Cheezza) It’s in the event area. Biggest zone in the underground mall.

ㄴ(LostHassan) You found it? Then let’s finish this.

ㄴ(Cheezza) But what if I get there and it just runs? Wouldn’t that be game over?

ㄴ(LostHassan) It’s probably not just sitting there randomly. You said it’s the biggest zone, yeah? That’s probably its nest. It won’t abandon it easily, which makes it perfect for a showdown. Still, just in case, throw in some taunts when you go in.

ㄴ(Pitbull) That thing’s intelligent. Provocation should work.

Organizing everything in his head, Park Minho finally made his decision.

ㄴ(Chezza) If I kill the higher-ranking Faceling, what does it drop?

He asked half-jokingly, but the reply he got was completely unexpected.

ㄴ(LostHassan) Rip out its eye first. I guarantee, it’ll change your fate on that floor.

ㄴ(Cheezza) Oh? What’s with this dramatic build-up?

ㄴ(Lost Hassan) That’s if you succeed. The white room always welcomes you with open arms. \(^_^)/

ㄴ(Cheezza)🖕🖕🖕🖕

* * *

"Hah! Haah!”

Two hours had already passed since he set out toward the convenience store in A1, the trek having left Park Minho drenched in sweat.

"Ah, for fuck's sake, seriously!”

The Backrooms were twisted and endlessly vast. According to the control room map, getting to A1 should’ve taken only 5 minutes.

But in this warped world, finding your way was nearly impossible.

'Now I get why mapping this place is seriously pointless.'

All he could do was follow the occasional sign, trying his best to head toward A1. But as a result, he ended up going from A7 directly to A3 and then popping out at A4. Total chaos.

"Uuuugh…seriously, where the hell is it…?”

The worst part was that he might be right next to it and still wandering in circles, or he could still be ridiculously far away. That uncertainty was the biggest problem with the Backrooms.

"Huff, hah..."

As he caught his breath, a sound reached his ears.

-Ziiiiing. Ziiing.

A deep, vibrating hum.

"What?”

Tilting his head, he realized that it sounded like the fan motor of an old, large refrigerator.

'Could it be nearby?’

From then on, instead of relying on signs, he followed the sound. And it worked.

"Ahaha...! Ah, seriously!"

He had found it at last. A half-destroyed convenience store.

It looked like someone had already looted most of it. Most of the drink fridges were dark, but one was still lit up.

"Please! Please be there!”

After all that effort, if there was no banana milk, it’d all be for nothing.

"There! It’s there!”

To his surprise, there were five intact drinks left. The rest were either burst or had turned into something unrecognizable behind the glass.

He grabbed all of them immediately.

Sikhye ×1

Barley Tea x2

Banana Milk x2

"This is a jackpot…and they're even the chunky ones!”

From what he’d heard, drinks were usually the first thing scavenged in the Backrooms. Even finding one would’ve been lucky. 

But he actually got five intact ones.

ㄴ(Cheezza) This is insane. Got 1 sikhye, 2 barley teas, and 2 banana milks. What does barely tea do?

ㄴ(KimChilsung) Good job! Barley tea has detox effects. It also stabilizes your mind! Oh, and don’t worry about expiration dates. They’re all meaningless here. Nothing goes bad. Just make sure the color looks normal.

ㄴ(Cheezza) kk. The color looks fine. What about the banana milk effect’s duration?

ㄴ(KimChilsung) About an hour. If you drink it too early, you’re screwed!

ㄴ(Cheezza) Then I should drink it right before entering C4.

Now if he could just find C4, he’d be able to drive that electrified knife straight into that bastard’s gut.

* * *

"Found it..."

Park Minho swallowed dryly. Unlike the nightmare of finding the convenience store, reaching C4 was surprisingly easy.

It hadn’t even taken an hour.

Beyond a long hallway, there was a wide, circular space. That was the event zone, but most of the lights were off, leaving it dim and shadowy.

He didn’t.

'It’s not like I have another option anyway.'

Honestly, he had desperately hoped to find a poster leading to another floor along the way.

But since he hadn’t seen one, there was only one answer left.

-Pop!

He immediately stabbed the straw into the banana milk container.

'Chunky banana milk really hits differently with a straw.'

-Sluurp.

With a tense expression, Park Minho gulped it down. At the same time, an icy chill hit his head and an artificial sweetness numbed his tongue.

'Damn, did banana milk always taste like this?'

It seemed like what entered his body literally exploded.

"Uuugh!"

It felt like heat bursting inside, so intense it made him stagger.

What the hell is this?!"

He didn’t need anyone to tell him that his ability had now been strengthened. It felt like a flame had taken root inside him.

He steadied himself for a moment, then wiped his mouth.

"Alright. Let’s go."

Park Minho straightened up and strode into the middle of the hallway.

'It already knows I’m here because of the scent of the mark it left on me. So there’s no point in sneaking up on it.'

The problem was that if it ran away again, everything would be over.

He’d been told it probably wouldn’t, since this was its nest, but still. Better to do everything he could.

"I’m here, you disgusting little bastard! You feel proud of having run away like a little rat earlier? Huh?”

Following his plan, Park Minho shouted at the top of his lungs to provoke it.

"You’re supposed to be a higher-tier entity, right? And yet you freak out and run just because of a guy capable of using a bit of Noise? Seriously? You melted-faced piece of shit?!”

He kicked aside a loose object nearby, then boldly stepped into the dark event zone, shouting even more.

"So come out! Stop hiding behind your lackeys. Let’s do this one-on-one right here!”

The provocation seemed to have worked.

The thing that had been hiding between the shelves slowly rose to its feet and walked toward the center of the circular area.

-Step, step.

In the darkness, only the center of the space was illuminated. And it stopped right there as if that spot belonged to it.

Its face looked melted with a single oversized eye, pitch-black skin, and clothes clumsily mimicking a humans…

It truly was a grotesque figure, yet at this moment, it stood like a furious actor on a stage, bathed in a spotlight.

"Kiiiii...Kiii…"

He couldn’t understand its words, but it was clearly incredibly furious.

Park Minho sneered even harder.

"Yeah, your pride must be in shambles, huh? Look at you shaking. Guess I got scared for nothing. Should’ve just crushed you from the start.”

The creature definitely understood him.

Its body trembled violently as if it couldn’t hold itself back any longer.

Its single eye locked onto him with clear killing intent.

Park Minho steeled himself. If it rushed him, he’d unleash everything he had in a single strike.

'Come at me, you bastard. I’ll put you down and take this whole zone for myself.'

The creature still didn’t know that Park Minho had been strengthened by the banana milk.

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