Chapter 105
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Walker III
Shin No-a
6
The Inunaki Tunnel was cursed in every way possible.
Fear of tunnels as places themselves. Ghost stories. The vengeful spirits of workers buried alive during construction. Murders and disappearances that occurred within the tunnel…….
I had underestimated the difficulty level of this strange entity that had extended its reach across the Korea Strait. We withdrew from the tunnel entrance and resumed our strategic meeting.
"Is it impossible to physically destroy that tunnel from the outside?"
"Probably impossible, meow."
Manyeobmyo sighed.
"Our association also decided to conquer the tunnel and attempted physical destruction first, meow. We even mobilized old explosives from the former Self-Defense Forces and simultaneously detonated 72 tunnels, meow."
"And the result?"
"It was observed that the Inunaki Tunnel would restore itself within 4 minutes at the fastest, and no longer than 4 days at most, meow. We speculate that it can't be subjugated through physical force—rather, 'one must walk through from entrance to exit' to defeat it, meow."
"…I see."
Such strange entities existed occasionally. Entities that couldn't be subjugated through physical force alone.
The Outer God 'Mugan' also belonged to that category. Though it bears repeating, let me briefly write down the method to subjugate Mugan.
1. Seal 99 spirits from the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons at Baekhwa Girls' High School.
2. Go down to the 4th basement floor, walk 4444 steps, and place 100 candles at the arrived location.
3. Exchange and tell the ghost stories of the sealed spirits—that is, the Baekhwa (Hundred Tales)—with at least 2 people.
4. Then walk 4 steps toward the Mugan that has appeared, and have a companion who can serve as the 'shrine maiden' perform the sealing.
5. During that process, help the shrine maiden by delivering 'an unpredictable strike against Mugan.' Perhaps using the famous sword 'Doha' that Nodoha crafted.
…That would be a strategy that seemed utterly insane.
Unless one was a regressor, the words 'Did you make this expecting someone to clear it?' would naturally spring forth. It was enough to make even the Saintess furrow her brows upon seeing this strategy later and mutter '…You're truly amazing.'
But conversely, even an Outer God-level strange entity that mocked the world's laws could be subjugated if one put in 'that much' effort.
Let alone a Continental-level strange entity like the Inunaki Tunnel, it went without saying.
Even if physical force didn't work, absolutely, if it was a strange entity, there always existed a Weak Point (虛點).
"I understand roughly."
"……? Meow, but why are you gripping your cane-sword and standing up? Undertaker?"
"It's just my personality to ask myself whether perhaps the firepower was insufficient if there's a strange entity that can't be subjugated through physical force."
From that day on, a season of harsh trials arrived for the Inunaki Tunnel.
"Secret Technique, Tunnel Collapse."
Rumbleeee-
I poured out aura to my heart's content and collapsed the tunnel entrance.
Whether Manyeobmyo's assessment was correct, the tunnel structure restored itself in less than 40 seconds (it seemed the restoration ability had increased compared to the past, perhaps because it had grown stronger). But my blade paid no mind to such petty tantrums.
"Secret Technique, Tunnel Collapse. Continue."
Rumble! Boom! Crumble!
Every time the Inunaki Tunnel returned to its original state, I carpet-bombed without rest. Not just the entrance, but I blew away the entire mountain ridge the tunnel passed through.
"Meoooow! What are you doing, meow! This entire area is a mountain dedicated to our god, meow!"
"Calm down. It's merely collateral damage."
"Our shrine's property has gone flying, so that's the main damage, not collateral damage, meow!"
Manyeobmyo jumped around in protest, but there were intended results.
40 seconds later. Only the tunnel remained孤立 in a wasteland where the entire mountain had vanished. The tunnel's external structure was fully exposed, like a scalp with complete hair loss.
"As expected."
Just as I predicted, the Inunaki Tunnel was ultimately a strange entity that parasitized 'tunnels.' The void it governed couldn't extend to the mountains beyond the tunnel.
Heosugeom admired as he looked at the tunnel with its structure exposed.
[Hoh. As expected of Undertaker, impressive power. The tunnel is fully revealed.]
"The fear a tunnel possesses is concentrated in darkness. 'The vagueness of not knowing how far or how long one must walk to reach the exit,' and 'the helplessness of being surrounded by concrete on all sides with no escape in emergencies.' But, look."
I climbed onto the tunnel's outer wall and walked to the midpoint. Then, slide- I split the tunnel's waist area like tofu.
"If the structure is exposed, even if by some chance an explorer becomes stranded, rescue from outside like this is possible. Of course, after 40 seconds the outer wall will restore itself, but if one is rescued during that time, there's no problem."
[Ah……. Certainly. Thinking of it that way, it doesn't feel very frightening.]
"Strange entities are mold that feeds not only on reality's voids but also on the gaps in our minds. If one can eliminate even a bit of unconscious fear, one shouldn't discriminate in methods."
[Hmm. Truly a teaching worth a thousand gold.]
"That's because a thousand gold literally flew away, meow! Oh my, oh meow!"
Click-
I received the spirit camera from Manyeobmyo and photographed the tunnel entrance once more.
Now. I've returned the strange entity's provocation with provocation of my own, let's see how it responds.
Soon the photo developed. Last time there were human torsos hanging from every cedar tree, but now perhaps because the forest had been completely logged, corpses were nailed to the stone wall at the tunnel entrance.
However, this time only their heads.
All the severed heads had their lips and eyelids fixed with tiny nails. The nails were forcing the corpses to artificially make 'smiling expressions.'
On the stone wall, 'Welcome back (おかえり)' was still written, now in blood flowing from the magical girls' heads.
"…Still quite composed, I see."
As expected.
"Meow?"
"Talking to myself. You don't need to look at the photos. They're just playing around with the corpses of fellow magical girls anyway."
"……."
Manyeobmyo nodded slightly.
I picked up the radio. This radio itself had no special capabilities, but I had disguised it as a 'strange entity radio' so it wouldn't look strange to others.
"Saintess."
[Yes.]
"Please contact Chief Manager Nodoha. Tell them to start the operation."
[Understood.]
A short while later.
"Your Excellency. The chess pieces are moving."
Yu Ji-won said from in front of the table placed at the tunnel entrance.
"Currently, Group 1 is entering the Busan Undersea Tunnel in order."
"Good, keep reporting. Saintess? You need to steadily monitor the death row inmates' vision. Share their reactions, dialogue, and detailed actions with me. It's necessary for writing the strategy guide."
[Yes.]
Slide. Slide.
On the table, the 72 chess pieces were moving slowly. The death row inmates who were all lost in the previous cycle.
I, Nodoha, the Saintess, Yu Ji-won. The strongest support-type specialists began controlling the numerous chess pieces.
This time, the prisoners' lives would be used a bit more valuably.
7
Tunnels in reality are 'passages where one enters through the entrance and can walk out through the exit.'
On the other hand, tunnels of the void are 'mazes where even if one enters through the entrance, one can never exit through the exit.'
Therefore, to defeat a tunnel strange entity, one only needs to have a person enter and come out safely. That proves 'this place is no longer void but reality.'
Now I will attach the guideline for safely crossing the Inunaki Tunnel, or more precisely, the communication records we exchanged while establishing the guideline.
These communication records are nearly identical to the strategy guide that will later be registered in SG Net's [Library Society Strange Entity Dictionary].
Although the survival rate of humans entering the tunnel is never high, if one keeps their wits about them and faithfully follows the 'strategy guide,' one can definitely return safely.
On the Record.
[Mr. Undertaker. We've issued radios to all exploration team members. After introducing me as the National Road Management Bureau's team leader, we've arranged for the exploration members to follow my instructions.]
[Advance team entering.]
[Judgment was made that destroying the stone wall would attract Inunaki Tunnel's attention more than necessary. The exploration members climbed over the stone wall.]
1. First, when the death row inmates climb over the stone wall, a terrible 'garbage smell' will immediately waft through.
It's close to the stench of leaves rotting all season after summer rain falls.
The damp cave breath will cling to your whole body like mites, but you must not panic.
Rather, the place where that smell is felt is the 'safe zone.'
[Report that 2 of the exploration members smelled an unbearable stench.]
[Death row inmate number 6 reports it's not just a cave smell but the smell of corpses left to rot. What should we do?]
"Instruct them to search for the corpse."
[Yes.]
1-1. If 'blood smell' or 'rotting corpse smell' wafts through instead of garbage smell or moss smell, you must immediately turn back and return by climbing over the stone wall again.
However, if you have already walked 'more than 7 steps' after entering the tunnel, you must not return. In this case, your waist will be severed the moment you cross over the stone wall.
The act of trying to confirm where the corpse is hidden because of the corpse smell is also strictly prohibited.
Ultimately, you will discover that the smell is emanating from inside your own body.
The writing of strategy guide number 1 required 5 death row inmates.
[Exploration member has died.]
[The remaining members were somewhat confused, but there's no problem continuing the operation.]
[I will request Chief Manager Nodoha to deploy follow-up units as planned.]
[All clear.]
[Advancing.]
2. Never walk past the tunnel's center to the right side. Always use the left side to move.
[Mr. Undertaker. I've conveyed this instruction to all exploration members, but why must we use only the left side of the passage?]
"Ah. In the previous cycle, the four of us walked through the passage side by side. But Heosugeom walking on the far right and Yu Ji-won walking in the center suddenly dropped dead."
[Yes?]
"Ah, Ji-won, you don't need to listen to this part. Focus on watching the minimap. Anyway……. They suddenly started gasping for breath as if completely submerged in deep water, and collapsed not long after."
[…….]
"When we checked the two bodies, vomit poured out from their esophagi and lungs. The cause of death was drowning."
2-1. If you smell 'water smell' or 'sewer smell' while walking, you're walking too far to the right.
Immediately move a bit more to the left and walk.
If it feels strangely difficult to breathe or walk, also move to the left. However, in this case, move while taking a 'swimming motion' rather than a 'walking motion.'
Just in case, wear a life jacket from when you enter the tunnel.
The writing of strategy guide number 2 did not require any death row inmates.
[All clear. I'll instruct them to continue advancing.]
"Yes, please do."
3. Inside the Inunaki Tunnel, all kinds of graffiti and scribbles are drawn in various colors.
Left, right, all directions, the entire passage is painted. The graffiti is as dense as seashells clinging to seaside cliffs.
These scribbles may appear to be Latin characters, but they resemble no language on Earth.
If the scribbles seem to writhe when you look at them, or if you smell 'blood' from the red parts of the scribbles, immediately avert your gaze from the graffiti.
As you go deeper into the tunnel, the graffiti will become increasingly intense and complex.
If the graffiti still looks like 'scribbles,' that area is safe. But if the graffiti looks like infinitely beautiful 'artworks,' especially like 'beautiful life forms,' immediately avert your gaze.
This phenomenon is presumed to be a void effect where the tunnel's 'corridor' and a gallery's 'corridor' are confused.
[Mr. Undertaker. Several exploration members are showing excessive interest in the graffiti.]
"Any unusual behavior detected?"
[Yes. They're approaching and moving away from the graffiti as if appreciating works in an art museum, muttering sentences like beautiful, pretty, ecstatic.]
[Ah.]
[Anomaly detected from death row inmate number 14. He's repeatedly reciting 'If only the color here were a bit deeper.']
[Surrounding exploration members are trying to stop him, but it doesn't seem effective.]
[Self-harm confirmed from death row inmate number 14.]
[He cut open his own abdomen and is painting the graffiti red.]
"As expected. Saintess, please also be careful not to look at the scribbles."
[Yes. I'm periodically changing my field of view. Death row inmate number 14 gouged out his own eyes and buried them in the tunnel wall's graffiti, crushing them.]
[Death confirmed.]
3-1. If someone standing in the middle of the tunnel appreciating the graffiti shows no response, immediately shoot to kill.
If 'tattoos' have clearly appeared on the person's arms or neck, you've already missed the timing to kill. Get as far away from that person as possible.
Individuals infected in the above manner are hereafter referred to as 'Spectators.'
When the blood smell no longer reeks and moss smell, basement smell, or cave smell is felt, you've entered the safe zone.
3-2. If you feel the Spectator is chasing you, cut off a finger or toe with your knife, then draw a picture like a tattoo on your face and hold the severed part in your mouth.
At this time, press yourself as close to the tunnel wall as possible and make no sound.
Even if you hear footsteps from somewhere, don't look toward the tunnel passage direction. Don't make any sound either. Stay pressed against the tunnel wall until the footsteps completely disappear. It's recommended to hold your breath for at least 30 seconds.
The writing of strategy guide number 3 required 11 death row inmates.
[Exploration member has died.]
[All clear.]
[Advancing.]
A regressor telling a story