Episode 64
When you open your eyes,
I saw a tree watching me.
“… … .”
It was a tree blocking the sky.
Not a single sound of animals or insects could be heard in my ears, and the whole world took on a dull color, like a badly edited photograph.
It was as if a color photograph had been clumsily converted to black and white and then ruined. The eyes, which seemed to have been delicately touched by the flames, moved quietly and reached me, and the hundreds and thousands of eyes, densely packed into the tree, looked in countless directions. When I looked at the gazes that crawled like glass at a fast and slow speed, it felt like I had fallen into a rabbit hole in Wonderland.
It suddenly dawns on me that none of those rough and delicate things are reaching my ears.
“… Huh.”
He was caught in a dream again.
‘If it weren’t a dream, it wouldn’t be this quiet.’
Lee Jae-heon raised one eyebrow and then lowered it. It wasn’t that hard to guess, since what he saw just before he fell asleep was the main character preparing to stand guard.
Even if the other world reflects human thought, it is a space where a basic ecosystem exists. The protagonist in the novel describes this world as being quiet several times, but that means he was not able to hear anything because his mental power was low, and it does not mean that there was really no sound.
In fact, Lee Jae-heon, who had heard the noises of animals and bugs several times in the park of the other world, knew that this was a dream because of the terrible silence and the eyes that moved as if they were alive, unlike outside the dream. It was a sight that was so vivid that it was annoying, but Lee Jae-heon knew how to distinguish between dreams and reality.
As he watched, he could tell where he was standing.
“… This is the same.”
It was the second nest they moved to and settled down in.
Since the dream I had last time also seemed to have started here, it seemed like the dream probably started where Lee Jae-heon was sleeping.
“I’m not sure… but I think it’s likely.”
Then, I wonder where exactly and what kind of actions will be applied in reality, but I still can’t figure that out clearly. Later, if I have more time, I’ll experiment and get results, but for now, Lee Jae-heon’s role in maintaining the group’s mentality is important. He looked forward to meeting the survivors, centered around Detective Hong Kyung-joon, once again.
And just as he had decided before falling asleep, Jaeheon Lee headed towards the green algae lake.
‘Drowning feels bad, but there’s nothing I can do about it.’
The feeling of spitting out the red lake water was more unpleasant than I could have imagined, but there was no other way. For now, I just had to proceed with the work as I had planned, and when I felt like I was losing my mental strength, I could take action.
He continued to scan his surroundings as he moved around. Knowing nothing about this mysterious lucid dream, he had to find out as much information as possible once he entered the dream.
That’s the first thing I found out.
“As expected, there is nothing alive.”
Beasts, bugs, and even the monsters they commonly saw. The green algae monster, the final boss of the park episode, is said to remain in dreams for some reason, but the rest are rarely seen.
Then the second one.
“…Then why are there mannequins?”
The mannequin that resembled Kim Yeon-woo that appeared in the dream I had right after I first met Police Officer Kim was clearly able to speak and move. This means that there is something different about this mannequin monster than other monsters.
Lee Jae-heon looked around carefully and recalled the description in the novel.
‘Well, those guys do have a different territory from normal monsters.’
Those who cause discomfort to people, like moderately good mannequins made by roughly modeling an individual, were not monsters that could be encountered in the other world.
“The mannequin monster is….”
It was a monster you could encounter outside the other world, not inside it.
In fact, the protagonist who escaped from the other world by chance also had his mentality destroyed by this mannequin monster. Although it is not properly described, the other survivors were probably in a similar situation. They never directly attack, but they have the ability to greatly destroy the mentality.
And the third, or rather the second half.
“… In the end, the mannequin and the final boss appear in dreams… ”
There seemed to be some difference between these two monsters and other moving things that he was unaware of.
Of course, it wasn’t very important information at the moment. The information he wanted was not the ecosystem inside this lucid dream, but its source and the method of destruction. He had planned this lucid dream because he knew it wouldn’t be resolved right away, but he wanted to get rid of it if possible.
From the beginning, Lee Jae-heon’s spirit also had limitations.
After leaving the closed and dark building, I had not suffered any major trauma, but eventually, I would go crazy if I went back into the concrete building. Unlike when I was just devoured by the other world, my mental power was much lower now. It may be natural, but even if I went back to the company and encountered the spider monsters, I probably wouldn’t be able to hear the sound of the wind they were making.
But every time I fall asleep, I am in a lucid dream, and I can only wake up when I die. In the latter case, if he is wrong, it would be embarrassing, but I am not in a situation to experiment with this right now. It was a truly depressing situation, thinking about my mental power being eaten away without any sign as time goes by.
And other information… .
“I need a little more experience.”
To find out the true nature of this dream, which did not even appear in the novel.
Lee Jae-heon unconsciously limped, but soon realized that the pain was not that great and returned to a normal gait.
In front of him was the green algae lake that had drowned him last time. Lee Jae-heon sighed as he looked at the green algae lake, the surface of which was so full of green algae that he could not see anything inside.
It was already our third meeting, but it was a situation where I couldn’t help but sigh. If I had to describe it, it was like seeing a mint chocolate cream on top of a double-crossing car. I even wondered how he, who had to go in there and drown, ended up in this situation. Where were the wealth and fame that I had worked so hard to achieve in my previous life?
Lee Jae-heon approached the lake, recalling the end of his relatively peaceful life.
“… … .”
… to be honest, he didn’t like water.
Now that I’m being honest, let’s be even more honest. Lee Jae-heon was afraid of water. He hates the angular darkness. He hates buildings where he can’t see outside. He hates it even more when his ankles are tied up, and it goes without saying that someone is threatening his life and peace.
But he was an adult, so there were many things he could do.
“… Phew.”
Chul-chul.
My feet touched the lake and green algae wrapped around them. It felt heavy, like chains.
“… … .”
foot.
Next is the scapula.
Ankles, calves, thighs.
And by the time the lake reached Meiji, there was nothing below that could touch the soles of your shoes.
Even without looking, you can feel the huge, empty hole and it immediately sucks you in.
with a splash-
As he sank like that, trying to calm his body that had no intention of floating even a little bit unlike reality, and opening his eyes that were being wrapped by the strong current, Lee Jae-heon took in the inside of the lake.
A bright red hole with orange and black hues stared back at him.
“… … .”
I’m out of breath.
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As if a thick rock was attached to his feet, his body continued downward, and when he took his gaze away from the sinkhole-like hole and looked to the side, what he saw was none other than marble sculptures.
‘…an old castle.’
It sometimes resembled an old castle that appears in Western fantasy movies. Could it be Atlantis, the legendary underwater world? It was so dark and red, covered with green algae and moss, it was eerie.
If that were the case, would it have looked like this if the long castle had been turned upside down? If so, how can we explain this emptiness that is empty in the center?
There were no fish here, no seaweed growing like the ocean, no blue world shining in the light or rippling with the waves. It was just filled with a strange fishy smell, as if it was made by mixing the blood of everyone living on Earth with melted glass.
It eats away at the nose, mouth, ears, throat, stomach, and lungs little by little. At that point, one would normally lose consciousness, but seeing that he was still clear up to this point, we could tell Lee Jae-heon’s mental state.
And the hands that wrap around my neck and waist.
“… … !”
Gulp.
I let out every last air bubble that was left.
After being out of breath for a while, my vision naturally blinked.
He felt for it with his hand, thinking it might be a vine from the park, but no. No matter how insane he was, this was clearly a person’s hand. It wasn’t stiff like a mannequin’s.
‘what?’
Why? Who? How come?
In the familiar fear and shallow panic, Jae-heon Lee tried to take deep breaths as a habit, but it naturally backfired as he was drowning. Without even thinking about how his actions would be revealed in reality, he grabbed his own neck and pulled it down.
The moment a thin figure appeared between his eyes as he barely turned his body.
“… … .”
That’s a face that is so terrifyingly familiar.
A sweet hallucination rang in my ears.
* * *
“… Cool, black. Kk!”
To conclude, Lee Jae-heon failed to drown.
“This son of a bitch…!”
It was because the green algae monster saved him. He still hadn’t woken up from his dream.
That fat monster bastard, I was wondering where the hell he went leaving my house, but I had no idea he would come out with a curveball like this. I really didn’t think he would hit me in the back of the head.
No, even if I put aside the fact that I was upset that I couldn’t die, it was just too absurd.
‘Why did that save me?’
How many times have you killed me so far?
Of course, he only killed him once in real life, but didn’t he already kill Lee Jae-heon in his dreams? This kind of volatility was simply ridiculous, considering the difference between inside and outside of a dream.
Lee Jae-heon felt goosebumps from the vivid sensation despite it being a dream, and vomited out the lake water. When he went inside and looked, it was clearly quite transparent, but when he came out, it was an opaque red color with orange and black hues, like any other blood clot.
Only after a long time had passed was Lee Jae-heon able to get up and look at his opponent.
“… Well, ahem.”
“… … .”
“What the heck?”
Of course, the green algae monster did not answer.
‘… Of course, since I don’t have a mouth…!’
It was a headache.
The shape is roughly similar to a human with limbs on his head wrapped in moss-like green algae, but it is ultimately a monster. There are also mannequin monsters that resemble specific individuals in an elaborate manner, so the shape of the green algae monster is not that surprising.
That’s why the most urgent thing Lee Jae-heon thought about with his panicked brain was not the failed drowning or the reason why the monster saved him.
“Why is there a human arm…?”
My pounding heart was deafening.
I felt like I was going to throw up.
I was so out of my mind that I wanted to spit out my heart that was beating so hard, my bitter intestines, my worn-out esophagus, and even the cochlea deep inside my ears. The thumping sound to the fast beat consumed my entire body.
What Jaeheon Lee saw in the green algae monster in front of him at the lake was its shape.
“…why….”
Because you resemble someone who should never be here.
“… … .”
What wrapped around my body in the lake were clearly human arms.
It was thin and long, and the bones were so thin that Jaeheon Lee could break it into several pieces if he wanted to.
The feeling of that soft skin gave Lee Jae-heon goosebumps. In fact, it still did.
So it’s like, that’s… .
“…hmm.”
Isn’t it?
‘Did I see something wrong?’
okay.
I was a little surprised.
It seems like it was a near-death hallucination that everyone experiences.
“…f*ck, I’m surprised.”
The noise that had been ringing in my brain gradually subsided.
It felt like I had witnessed a sudden explosion in a horror movie that I had seen in the theater sometime in my life. The feeling of being out of breath and feeling uneasy was so unpleasant that Lee Jae-heon pressed his heart, which was slowly calming down, with one hand.
At that point, another question arose.
‘Why on earth did he save me?’
He doesn’t even try to kill me again, no. No.
Rather than that… .
“… … .”
“… … .”
Lee Jae-heon approached the green algae monster.
It was a slow approach, not like he was running or trying to attack, but as if he was blatantly trying to grab my throat. It was so slow that even a 10-year-old could easily stop him.
However, it only moved its head in the direction that seemed to be the front of the face, following Lee Jae-heon, and did not attack or extend its vines. It did not shed its fanged vines or open its mouth. No matter how you looked at it, its aggression seemed to be almost neutralized.
But as I tried to pass that monster and go towards the lake,
“… … .”
“…what.”
Block it.
Just in case, I tried to strangle him,
“… … .”
“What the hell?”
Block it.
‘What do you want to do?’
For a moment, my head felt dizzy.
Lee Jae-heon saw the green algae monster, taller than an average adult male, grabbing his two wrists with its broad hands. It wasn’t gripping them so hard that they would break, but it was painful, just like the pain felt when a habitual thief is subdued by the police and their wrists are handcuffed.
When I tried to get out of there, it wouldn’t let go. Even when I moved my legs, its heavy body didn’t shake, and even though I kicked it with all my might several times, thinking that it would kill me if I provoked it, there was no response at all. I thought that maybe it died standing there. At that point, even Lee Jae-heon, who had been beaten up by the monster in front of him, couldn’t help but know what was going on.
He couldn’t hide his bewilderment at the absurdity of the situation, which was even more intense than the disgust he felt instinctively at the monster.
No, wow. Seriously, what the hell.
“… Let go of me, you little punk…!”
This is crazy, it’s stopping me from escaping this world.
If you’re not going to take responsibility for my current life, then get out of here, you piece of shit.
* * *
Three days passed like that.
