[ Title: Entry Procedure and Safety Rules for the “Terminal Station Lost-and-Found Center” ]
Author: 11.371
[Entry Procedure]
After midnight, proceed to the final platform of the nearest subway station. You must miss the last train.
After confirming that no one is around, shout three times toward the empty tracks. “Where is the Lost-and-Found Center?”
After a short while, part of the platform wall will open, revealing an old door. That is the “Terminal Station Lost-and-Found Center.”
It was fascinating that it even listed how to enter the urban legend.
Come to think of it, I remembered Santo1kki’s comment.
[ Once you get caught up in one urban legend, the chances of being dragged into the next one shoot up like crazy. Of course, if you want to, there are ways to enter directly, but… not recommended! ]
In other words, there were urban legends that had methods of entry.
It was probably information you couldn’t see in the [ Urban Legend Creation Gallery ].
“Hmm.”
The entry method seemed plausible.
But the “Safety Rules” written underneath.
For some reason, those felt a little unsettling.
“Well, I can just verify them one by one.”
Keeping the rules in mind, I carefully took the aberrant-form crystal.
A cold, smooth sensation passed to my fingertips.
I waited until midnight, pulled my hoodie over my head, and left the house. The night air was colder than I expected.
The nearest subway station was a ten-minute walk away.
I arrived at the empty platform.
The last train had long since stopped running.
I took a deep breath and shouted toward the tracks, where an eerie darkness lay.
“Where is the Lost-and-Found Center?”
My voice echoed hollowly.
“Where is the Lost-and-Found Center?”
The second shout.
The wind blew, and my hair brushed against my cheek.
“Where is the Lost-and-Found Center?”
The moment the third shout ended.
Creeeeeeak—
The wall in the center of the platform began opening inward, like a massive door. The smell of dust and old paper rushed out. Beyond the door was an old staircase leading downward.
‘It really exists.’
Without hesitation, I went down the stairs.
As I descended the creaking steps, a door appeared with an old sign attached to it.
[Terminal Station Lost-and-Found Center]
I took one deep breath and opened the door.
Jingle—
An old bell hanging above the door rang, revealing the dust-covered interior. Shelves that looked as if they reached the high ceiling were piled full of objects whose owners were unknown. Old bags, umbrellas, books, and “something” whose identity I could make out.
Among them, the thing submerged in red liquid was clearly the brain, spinal cord, nervous-system-vessels-peripheral-nerves-frontal-lobe-fascia of a human or some animal—
— Slap.
After smacking myself across the cheek, I came back to my senses.
[ Safety Rule 1 ] Before making a transaction, do not stare too intently at the lost items. At first glance, they may appear to be objects humans can understand, but in truth, they are not.
The first rule seemed to have been written correctly.
If I’d been just a little later, that could have been close.
◆
[ Title: I Think They Went In After Reading That “ㅇㅇ” Bait Post ]
Author: OrthodoxMethod
[Content] I’ve been checking since earlier, but their login time hasn’t updated.
Those pickpockets luring newbies in with rulebooks and robbing them is nothing new. If people stop trusting rulebooks, even more people will become victims.
Acts like forging and distributing rulebooks that way should be punished severely.
ㄴ [LogicCircuit] The problem is we don’t have the manpower to catch them.
ㄴ [WeHaveALotPreparedButPleaseMakeJustALittle] Looks like that kid really is a newbie.
ㄴ [LogicCircuit] That’s certainly a valid point. Conversely, if they come back out after going in, they’re not a newbie.
[ Title: A Newbie Got Got by Newbie Hunters ]
Author: WeHaveALotPreparedButPleaseMakeJustALittle
[Content] That post shows up every so often whenever a newbie arrives, and honestly, there’s no way a newbie wouldn’t fall for it.
If they say you can turn crystals into money, who wouldn’t go in?
And if “ㅇㅇ” were some veteran’s alt, they absolutely wouldn’t have gone in after reading that spam rulebook. There isn’t a single veteran here who doesn’t know that urban legend and its rulebook are total bait, right?
ㄴ [CanIEatThis] There’s nothing to eat there.
ㄴ [Santo1kki] Men can die. (Deleted)
ㄴㄴ [Lee Taeheon*] Please refrain from comments that may be discriminatory or cause conflict.
[Title: Whether They’re a Newbie or a Veteran, I Hope They Come Back Alive ]
Author: MysteriousMonsterEncyclopedia
[Content] Each and every user is one line in a rulebook.
Even for me to live longer, other people’s lives are precious.
In that sense, I hope LostHandBrainSlightlyFixed sends all those baiting aggro bastards off.
ㄴ [WeHaveALotPreparedButPleaseMakeJustALittle] No, I’m telling you, that kid’s a newbie!!!
ㄴ [LogicCircuit] Both sides make valid points.
◆
After walking a little farther among the lost items, I came upon a counter.
An old man in an old station attendant’s uniform greeted me with a benevolent smile.
“Welcome. What have you lost?”
He looked exactly like the center director described in the rulebook. I pulled my hood lower and approached the counter.
“This seems like something someone lost.”
I took the aberrant-form crystal out of my pocket and placed it on the counter.
The center director’s eyes narrowed for an instant. He took out a magnifying glass and examined the crystal from various angles, then murmured in an admiring voice.
“Hoh… This is quite the precious item. To think it is of the ‘Perfect’ grade.”
He stared fixedly at me for a moment.
[ Safety Rule 3 ] When speaking with the center director, do not meet his eyes for more than five seconds. He can see through your “value.”
I looked back at him.
His eyes grew deeper and deeper as time passed.
“However, you are more precious than this item. It seems there must be someone searching fervently for you, so you too appear to be lost propert……”
4.7 seconds.
Before he could finish his sentence, I hurriedly looked away.
This rule seemed to be correct too.
“I only came to turn in something someone lost.”
“Indeed. Thank you. You have done the work our staff should have done.”
The center director took an old leather bag out from under the counter and opened it with a click.
Inside the bag, it was packed full of fifty-thousand-won bills.
“……!”
I swallowed without realizing it. How much was all this? It looked like it easily surpassed at least ten million won.
“Now, here. A reward.”
The center director pushed the bag toward me.
[ Safety Rule 4 ] Do not make trivial jokes to the center director. He has no sense of humor.
This wasn’t something I particularly wanted to test. I wasn’t exactly known for having a sense of humor either.
“Thank you.”
I hid my emotions as much as possible and accepted the bag. Its heavy weight settled into my arm. It was a far larger amount than I had expected. I could buy clothes, put together a new computer, and focus only on gallery life for the time being.
“Then I’ll be going.”
The transaction was over.
As I was about to turn away, the center director stopped me.
“Have a cup of tea before you go. These days, guests as conscientious as you are quite rare.”
I glanced at the center director’s expression.
[ Safety Rule 5 ] Once the transaction is complete, you must not immediately leave the center. If the center director offers you tea, you must drink it, and take your time looking around. The center director values courtesy and leisure.
Hmm.
After thinking for a moment, I smiled brightly.
“I’m sorry. I have urgent business, so I think I should go.”
And with that, I opened the door of the Lost-and-Found Center.
An action that was the exact opposite of the safety rule.
While staying that way, I briefly watched the look in the center director’s eyes.
— Creak.
Then I stepped outside and closed the door.
“…….”
I had just broken the rulebook.
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
My heart pounded violently.
A minute passed like that.
…Nothing happened.
“I knew it was a scam.”
My instincts hadn’t been wrong.
The [Safety Rules] of this urban legend were definitely suspicious.
Especially the fifth safety rule.
The word “must” wasn’t something that could be inserted into rules carelessly. After all, these rules were all written through human experience—in other words, in blood.
“Besides, the tone was strange too.”
It felt as if someone had added onto an existing rulebook.
There were awkward parts that seemed to have been altered by someone with a specific purpose.
So I experimented.
Since I had already gotten a grasp on the center director’s bizarre gaze, I could boldly test the fifth rule.
If I opened the door and the look in his eyes changed, I could simply come back and drink the tea.
Returning to the original point.
Now the question was who had modified the rulebook, and why.
“They were definitely trying to stall for time.”
Drink tea, take your time.
Actions meant to delay me.
Why did the “someone” who wanted me to enter this urban legend want me to waste time?
The [Safety Rules] came back to mind.
.
.
.
6. Inside the Lost-and-Found Center, do not run or make loud noises under any circumstances. The sleeping “lost items” may awaken.
7. If other “guests” enter, do not make any large movements. Leave your seat as naturally as possible. They are not friendly to you.
.
.
.
Rules that delayed time, restricted behavior, and made it difficult to run away.
“Those bastards.”
They were trying to scam a newbie.
Goosebumps rose across my body.
This urban legend was probably one that various people could enter.
First, they sent a newbie into the urban legend and made them exchange the crystal.
“And then they were going to steal the money.”
In case the newbie left in a hurry, they had written rules meant to stall for time so their efforts wouldn’t go to waste.
They also made it so the newbie couldn’t resist or run.
“I have to get out.”
From this urban legend, as quickly as possible.
I ran toward the entrance.
“Hah, hah, hah, hah.”
But my body, transformed into a woman’s, was slow, and my stamina was weak.
I became short of breath, and my steps gradually slowed.
At the same time, I realized something.
Why those guys who preyed on newbies had chosen this urban legend.
“It’s damn far.”
At last, the entrance of the urban legend came into view.
— “Is it really a newbie with money this time?”
— “I told you, I saw the proof post go up properly.”
— “A-rank! I’m telling you, it’s A-rank! This is a big catch, a big one!”
— “By now, they should’ve drunk the tea and passed out, right?”
A group descended with a murmur of voices.
“Damn it!”
I hurriedly threw myself into the dark space beneath the nearest shelf and squeezed my body in.