WETRIED TRANSLATIONS

The Legendary Newbie of the Ghost Story Labyrinth

[Translator – Aren]

Chapter 9 - Mannequin (5)

"Phew…”

Facing the impeding decisive battle, Park Minho let out a slow breath. Then, he strode toward the high-tier Faceling.

-Crackle.

With each step he took, sparks flickered from the knife.

Since he was still hiding the boost from the banana milk, it looked weak and insignificant at a glance.

"Kiieeeeh…Kikik!”

The higher-tier entity immediately sneered.

The same one that had panicked and run before now seemed completely at ease. As if that level of power couldn’t possibly threaten it.

'Laugh all you want!’

Park Minho carefully closed the distance, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

And the instant the entity entered his range, he unleashed his enhanced power.

-Craaaackle!

-Snap! Craaaack!

A surge of electricity on a completely different level than before exploded from the knife. It looked like a magical lightning-infused sword straight out of a fantasy story.

The higher-tier Faceling’s single eye widened in shock.

"Kiek—!”

But at that very moment, Park Minho was already charging forward.

Even he couldn’t help but be startled. His body was moving at a speed he had never experienced before. Maybe this electrical ability was enhancing his physical abilities as well.

"Ugh!”

He felt as if he would lose control and crash if he hesitated because of the unfamiliar speed he was moving in. So instead, he committed fully, launching himself like an arrow.

"Haaaah!”

Park Minho swung the knife with everything he had.

-Crack! Whooosh!

The higher-tier entity, with its incredible agility, tried to dodge, but it was greatly caught off guard this time.

The sparking kitchen knife tore straight across its chest.

-Bzzzzzt!

"KiieeeEEEEK!”

The entity shrieked in pain, rolling backward. It scrambled back to its feet, clutching its wounded chest, clearly appearing shaken.

Meanwhile, Park Minho grew certain.

'It works! I can kill it!'

The realization that he could actually defeat this terrifying, grotesque thing sent a rush through him.

"Hurts, doesn’t it?! Bet it hurts like hell, right?”

The entity’s massive eye trembled violently, filled with fear and confusion. It was as if it never expected things to turn out this way. It staggered backwards.

Park Minho wanted to rush in immediately, but instead, he stayed cautious, focusing on cornering it.

'It’s way faster than me. If it runs, I’m done.'

And it worked. Before long, the higher-tier entity had backed itself into a corner, frantically glancing side to side.

"Where do you think you’re going? Huh? Stop struggling like a rat and finish this right here.”

But then the creature’s terrified demeanor suddenly changed.

"Kikikik……Kekeke!"

It let out a deflating, mocking laugh. The fear it had shown moments ago was completely gone.

The higher-tier Faceling immediately reached behind itself, feeling along the wall. An electrical panel was there.

-Click!

When it opened it, a tangled interior of neatly arranged wires, breakers, and transformers was revealed.

'What is it trying to do?'

Park Minho couldn’t read its intent, and in that moment of confusion, the creature snickered and pressed a red switch.

-Click.

At the same time, a mechanical rumble erupted near the entrance of the event zone.

-Ruuuuumble!

Then a fire shutter slammed down, sealing the entrance completely.

-Boooom!

It had manually triggered the emergency shutter system.

"Wh-what the hell?”

Park Minho panicked. He had been most worried about it running away, but now it had blocked its own escape route.

"Are you trying to die with me?!”

Before it could do anything else, Park Minho rushed in, thrusting his knife forward.

-Stab!

With incredible reflexes, the entity grabbed the bent blade with its right hand.

-Zzzzt! Crackle!

Its hand began to burn, smoke rising, but it only seemed to grin wider.

"Kiieeeek! Kikik!”

Even while struggling with Park Minho with its right hand, it casually used its left hand to press a manual button on the EBS (Emergency Broadcast System) near the mic input panel.

Immediately after, a broadcast began. Speakers all across zone C4 crackled to life.

[Aah―! Attention, valued customers. Kikigeeegh…!]

Its words were understandable, but the voice was grotesquely distorted.

As if something inhuman was forcing itself to imitate a human voice.

[Today, we are extending business hours. Kikik! A special late-night sale is now underway in the discount section!]

At that moment, stacks of inventory boxes piled around the discount area started to tremble violently.

"What the hell are you doing?!”

Right then, the high-tier entity kicked Park Minho in the stomach.

-Thud!

"Gah!”

The sudden blow sent him rolling backward. Thankfully, he managed to not lose his grip on the knife.

Seeing that, the entity, its right hand still smoking, gave an exaggerated bow.

A gesture filled with mockery and farewell.

"Kieeeeek! Kek…!”

The announcement continued.

[Today’s limited special item! Only one available! Fresh, lively, perfect for slaughter! A male in his twenties!]

Park Minho’s face went pale. There was no mistaking it. It was talking about him.

[The meat is firm and tender! Kekekek! A live specimen! Take it whole or purchase by the cut!]

Park Minho was frantically scanning his surroundings. Front, back, left, right. Looking for any way to escape. But there was nowhere to run.

[The eyeballs are clear and fresh, bursting with flavor when you bite into them! The heart is delightfully chewy, best enjoyed raw! Kieeek! As for the lungs, press them while they’re still breathing, and you’ll hear the air whistle out! A truly premium product!]

At the same time, the stacks of cardboard boxes at the edge of the area collapsed all at once. And from within, dozens of white mannequins neatly packed together spilled out.

Lower-tier Facelings.

"Goddammit!”

Was this a trap from the start? Perhaps it had even noticed him watching through the CCTV and pretended to be scared just to lure him in.

'No way. It used the extended business hours to bypass the closing rule!’

He never imagined this. Since it declared a sale extension, Zone C4 was now exempt from the closing time rule.

"Kiieeee...!"

"Kiiiiiii!"

"Kek! Kieeeeh…!”

Surrounded by a tightening swarm of white mannequins, Park Minho scrambled up onto a nearby black display shelf and raised his knife.

"Come at me, you bastards! I dare you!”

There was no escape anyway. Fueled by desperation, Park Minho chose to fight to the end.

[The doors will remain closed until all stock is sold out! Enjoy your shopping!]

At that, the white mannequins charged all at once. They appeared like a horde of zombies or a crowd stampeding into a grand opening sale.

"Kieeeeh!”

"Kweek...!"

"Kweeeeh!”

They shoved, trampled, and climbed over on another, all rushing toward him.

Park Minho wildly swung his knife from atop the shelf, desperately fighting back.

"Get the hell away from me, you fucking bastards!”

They climbed up the display, grabbed at his legs, and dragged at him. Each time, they recoiled in shock from the electricity, but they never gave up.

And behind them was that disgusting higher-tier entity, watching.

Its eye was filled with cruelty, pleasure, and pure hatred. It waved its hand like a conductor leading an orchestra, directing the white mannequins.

"Kiiieeeeh!”

"Kweeeh! Kweh!”

But something was off. The higher-tier wasn’t trying to kill him quickly.

With this many mannequins, Park Minho should’ve been overwhelmed instantly even with Noise.

But instead, it was carefully controlling the intensity as if it wanted to torture him until he was completely drained.

It didn’t take long for Park Minho to realize that. He clenched his teeth.

"You fucking piece of shit!"

One of his eyes was already swollen shut after getting punched by a mannequin that climbed up. Even his molars felt loose as if they might fall out at any moment.

He shocked it away immediately, but his body was steadily falling apart. And the higher-tier entity was enjoying every second of it.

Park Minho’s strength was fading, making way for despair to creep in.

'Damn it, I can’t even run because of the fire shutter!'

And then a thought flashed through his mind.

'Wait, fire shutters? Fire…?'

He quickly snapped his head upward. From atop the display he could see a fire sprinkler system mounted not far above. The moment he noticed it, his mind began racing.

'What if I use that?'

Having reached that conclusion, Park Minho shouted at the higher-tier entity.

"Wait! Hold on! I surrender!”

He cut off the electricity from the knife and set it down on the floor.

Whether the creature would accept or not was uncertain, but he had no other option.

"Kek?”

The higher-tier entity tilted its head, not immediately convinced by his words.

"I’ve got something to show you. You’ll definitely be interested! I swear!”

At that, the creature seemed intrigued. It slowly raised its right hand. All the white mannequins stopped at once.

"Kekekek. Kiieeh…"

A sneer spread across its face. Like it was humoring him before killing him.

"It’ll only take a second. Just wait!”

Park Minho hurriedly rummaged through his bag and pulled something out.

It was a lighter and a torch. They were tools he had taken from Daomi Pizza’s kitchen, normally used for melting cheese or adding a flame-seared finish.

He ignited the torch without hesitation and aimed it at the sprinkler.

-Fwoooosh!

The heat-sensitive glass bulb at the tip shattered. The valve opened and water burst out violently. The water was rust-red, resembling blood.

Shaaaaaaaa~!

Then, nearby sprinkler heads ruptured in sequence, triggering a chain reaction. In an instant, water poured down across the entire discount area.

"Kiiieeeeek!”

"Kiiil! Kiiiii!”

"Kioh?!”

The white mannequins were clearly thrown into confusion. Even the higher-tier Faceling lost its composure.

"Kieeek?”

It stood there, clearly irritated by its drenched body but also puzzled. Water itself wasn’t harmful to it after all.

But then, its single eye widened in shock.

Park Minho had picked the knife back up and was now generating electricity on an entirely different level.

* * *

-Craaack!

Park Minho bet everything on this one move. While the Facelings were still disoriented, he had already downed another banana milk.

KimChilsung’s warning flashed through his mind.

ㄴ(KimChilsung) Be careful stacking banana milk before the effect wears off! It boots you greatly, but your brain might melt!

"Not that I can worry about that now.”

And sure enough, a violent shock hit his head, like being struck with a hammer.

At the same time, his vision exploded into thousands of colors as if he had taken LSD.

"Whoa…!”

Blood streamed from his nose, but Park Minho couldn’t help but grin. His ability had surged even higher in power.

This was his last chance, so he poured everything into the knife.

-Zzzzzzt!

He was ready to burn through every last bit of the black-colored contamination residue on the knife. And in response, the electricity surged far beyond anything he had released before.

Then he made eye contact with the higher-tier entity. The creature was panicking, frantically waving its hands, as if begging him to stop.

Park Minho smirked.

"Fuck that, you piece of shit.”

He leapt off the display shelf. In the moment of his descent, he dove the crackling knife straight into the ground.

-Booooom!

At the same time, every last bit of Noise remaining in the blade was unleashed at once.

-Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt!

Blue electricity surged outward, spreading through the water in all directions.

"Kiiiieeeeeeek!”

"Gggggghk!”"

Dozens of white mannequins were instantly electrocuted, their bodies convulsing violently. Drenched in rust-red, blood-like water, their twisted, writing forms were grotesque beyond words.

Of course, it wasn’t powerful enough to kill them outright. That kind of output was beyond Park Minho.

But it was enough. They were stunned, collapsed, or left twitching with broken joints.

The higher-tier Faceling wasn’t spared either. It didn’t lose consciousness, but it dropped to the ground, seizing uncontrollably.

"Kiiieeeeh……!”

Their eyes met again. This time, its eye was filled with unmistakable fear. It scrambled, trying to crawl away, but its body barely responded.

Park Minho immediately chased after it.

"Get back here, you bastard!”

This was his only chance. He slipped slightly on the water pooling on the floor like puddles of blood, but he still managed to crash down onto the fleeing creature.

He landed on top of it, pinning it to the ground.

"Give me your eye!”

Clutching what could barely be called a knife anymore, nothing more than a mangled shard of metal now, he began gouging into its right eye.

"Kiieeeeeek!”

The creature writhed in agony, screaming as its whole body twisted.

However, Park Minho had already snapped. His eyes wild, he drove the blade deeper, shouting,

"You said it yourself! You can buy by parts, right?! Then hand it over, you piece of shit!”

-Cruuuuunch, rip!

As he tore it out by force, a horrific sound followed, like optic nerves being ripped free all at once.

And then, the broadcast resumed.

[Keek? It seems the product has been sold? It seems slightly different from what was originally planned, but that doesn’t matter much.]

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