Chapter 156: The Ark of the Golden House (6)

3-6) Decaying Jewelry Box

It looks like a jewelry box filled with gold, silver, and precious gems, but if anyone approaches too closely, it swallows them whole.

The easiest way to think of it is as a type of mimic.

Upon closer inspection, parts of the bodies of those it has devoured can be seen among the treasures. It is believed that these victims are also absorbed and become part of the jewelry box.

Furthermore, those who collect valuables aboard the ship are believed to transform into these creatures over time.

They are primarily found in the Grand Banquet Hall, where they lure people with their dazzling appearance.

The method for killing one is simple. Remove the hinges on both sides of the jewelry box's lid simultaneously.

Dozens of jewelry boxes were lined up throughout the Grand Banquet Hall.

After listening to Su-myeon's explanation, Do-jin furrowed his brow.

“If that's the case, ...wouldn't two people be enough?”

“No. If even one of the two gets captivated and reaches for the jewels, they'll be bitten immediately.”

Someone had to watch them closely and prevent that from happening.

Do-jin gave him a hesitant look, but Su-myeon waved his hand as though it were nothing.

In truth, the task itself wasn't particularly difficult, which was precisely why he was assigning it to them.

If anything, the judgment of the person keeping watch was more important.

“The hinges should come right out if you pull them. It's better if I'm the one watching.”

Even if Rachel or Su-myeon were captivated by a jewelry box and reached toward it, there was no way Do-jin would be able to stop them.

When Su-myeon told him there was no other choice, Do-jin sighed and cautiously approached one of the jewelry boxes with Rachel.

They carefully approached it from either side, gripped the hinges of its lid, and pulled. The hinges slid free without requiring much force.

The lid then flipped backward and fell away with a clatter.

The jewelry box bubbled and spewed thick black foam resembling sewage, and now there was no trace of life left in it.

“Is it really... dead just from that? Something so simple......?”

“Apparently. It might be simple, but it's also a method that wouldn't be easy to think of.”

After all, this was a world governed entirely by rules.

Having gained a little courage and a sense of accomplishment, Do-jin and Rachel immediately began working on the neighboring jewelry boxes.

Whenever they gripped the hinges and pulled them free, the jewelry boxes went limp.

The gold, silver, and precious gems inside, which had sparkled like genuine treasures, simultaneously lost their luster and became as shabby as lumps of rusted metal.

“So, once you know the method, getting out works the same way.”

If anything, killing the monsters through such simple yet reliable means was helping ease Do-jin's and Rachel's nerves.

If they continued following the rules, perhaps returning to reality would be just as easy.

It was as though they could finally glimpse that hope.

Bzzzt―

Su-myeon stopped them so he could check his phone, which had begun vibrating at just the right moment.

“Ah, hold on a second.”

A quick time-out.

They had already dealt with more than half the jewelry boxes.

Although it was repetitive work and not particularly difficult, they would probably have trouble finding time for a proper rest afterward.

“Would you like some water and chocolate?”

When Su-myeon offered Rachel and Do-jin some snacks, Do-jin frowned.

“...But we need to get back to Ji-hye quickly.”

“Don't worry. The person with her is the best fighter among us.”

Han-su was probably resting at the far end of the stairs by now.

Thinking that Do-jin was quite the doting husband, Su-myeon reassured him once more about Ji-hye's safety before picking up his phone.

Along with a notification that new products had arrived at Bell's Secret Shop.

[#BELL: ??]

The first thing he saw was a message from Bell expressing her displeasure.

Such a straightforward display of annoyance was almost endearing coming from the master of a ghost story, and Su-myeon smiled faintly.

Whatever the circumstances, as long as they could have an honest conversation, there was always some way to reach an agreement.

Ghost-story master or not, someone who behaved like this could actually be easier to communicate with than people in reality.

Besides, Bell seemed genuinely serious about having put effort into the Secret Shop this time. The selection was packed with options that looked remarkably useful.

[Icarus's White Phosphorus Grenade (30 Coins)]

Pull the pin and throw it to produce an explosion accompanied by an intense burst of light. Caution is advised, as it will incinerate everything within a 3-meter radius.

[Atlas's Carabiner (30 Coins)]

Any object, any being. Attach this clip to a bag or belt, and its weight will become exactly ‘0g’.

[Echo's Wax Silencer (50 Coins)]

When attached to a firearm, it completely absorbs the physical sound of the gunshot and all recoil produced when the weapon is fired.

[Gingerbread Man's Wind-Up Toy (50 Coins)]

Wind it up and place the doll on the ground. It will move forward while possessing the exact same presence and vitality as a human being. Be advised that it cannot change direction and can only move straight ahead.

[The Boy Who Cried Wolf's Smartwatch (200 Coins)]

Detects lies spoken nearby and alerts the wearer.

Its range includes all beings within 1 meter (including humans and supernatural entities). Be advised that the wearer's own lies are also detected.

If multiple people are speaking within range simultaneously, the watch will not indicate which person's statement is false.

But weren't these all ridiculously expensive?

Bell clearly had to get her hands on as much causality as possible, so she must have stubbornly piled on detailed descriptions to justify raising the prices.

Without a moment's hesitation, Su-myeon pressed the purchase button on every single item and confirmed that they had all been transferred into his inventory.

Surely, after transferring this much causality to her, she would be able to make another Golden Rose bloom.

[Don't forget the order.]

[And don't use it up!]

After sending Bell those messages, Su-myeon took out the smartwatch and put it on.

Do-jin, who was so desperate to get back to his wife that he had been anxiously pacing in tight circles within a radius of about fifty centimeters, asked,

“What's that?”

“Oh, nothing special.”

Su-myeon immediately noticed the red light flashing on the watch and nodded.

‘Works like a charm.’

Ordinarily, he would have considered something like the carabiner useless because he already had an inventory, but the situation was different now.

Han-su would have to carry Ji-hye and the soaking-wet blanket wrapped around her until they made it outside.

The carabiner seemed like it could come in quite handy.

“.......”

Rachel also looked puzzled by whatever Su-myeon had done in those brief moments, but he answered her silently with a few movements of his lips.

‘Later.’

Rachel readily accepted that and nodded.

They hurried to destroy all the remaining jewelry boxes, just as Do-jin wanted. By the time they were finished, the Grand Banquet Hall, which had once seemed so magnificent, looked small and shabby.

Moreover, it appeared that the jewelry boxes here had contained a considerable amount of causality.

“.......”

Rose Coins could be seen beneath the pitch-black sewage foam, which looked as though merely touching it would make someone sick.

Ruuumble―

Boom―!

At the same time, sounds of spaces contracting and compressing echoed from various parts of the ship, perhaps because the amount of causality aboard had decreased.

By now, the ship had probably shrunk to something closer in size to a passenger ferry than a cruise liner.

As Su-myeon assessed the situation, Do-jin urged him on once again.

“Um... I'm worried about my wife. Couldn't we hurry?”

Su-myeon frowned when he saw the red light illuminate on his watch.

Which part of what he just said was a lie?

But at that very moment, a message from Han-su appeared on his watch.

[#WOLF: Apparently, Do-jin isn't Ji-hye's husband.]

......What the fuck? What kind of situation is this now?

***

There was a saying people sometimes used.

People were scarier than ghosts.

For the first time in quite a while, Su-myeon examined Do-jin using nothing but his Cyclops Contact Lens.

However, the sight of Do-jin, who appeared to be a perfectly ordinary human being, left him with complicated feelings.

Unlike the people he had previously encountered who had been bewitched by ghost stories, this man genuinely seemed completely normal.

Which meant he was using nothing but his sheer physical advantage to arbitrarily claim a woman who had lost her voice and legs as his wife.......

‘What is this, some kind of thriller movie...?’

How on earth had someone like him managed to survive inside a ghost story all this time?

Perhaps, to him, a beautiful woman was something even more desirable than gold, silver, and precious jewels.

“Honey, are you okay? Nothing happened, right?”

The moment they reunited with Ji-hye, Do-jin made an extraordinary fuss over her.

If Su-myeon hadn't seen Han-su's message, he might simply have assumed that Ji-hye was embarrassed or uncomfortable with her husband's excessive displays of affection.

Her resistance was halfhearted at best.

But the reason became obvious as soon as he thought about it.

They were inside a ghost story, and she had lost her voice and legs, leaving her wrapped in a blanket.

She wasn't in any condition to put up any meaningful resistance in the first place.

“Let's head upstairs for now. We need to get out of here quickly.”

This time, Su-myeon spoke as though urging Do-jin along.

As Do-jin moved ahead to follow Han-su and Ji-hye, Su-myeon showed Rachel the message he had received from Han-su.

“....”

As expected of a properly trained agent.

Rachel gave a brief nod without letting anything show on her face, then followed behind Han-su.

What on earth had happened between those two for them to have survived together as the only survivors here?

All Su-myeon could imagine was that Ji-hye must have endured a horrifying ordeal.

“Once we reach the deck, we just need to make our way up to the wheelhouse above it, and we'll be able to get out. Hang in there, everyone.”

As Su-myeon walked ahead, he handed Atlas's Carabiner to Ji-hye.

“Keep this clipped to one of the loops on your hoodie. It's an item that helps reduce weight.”

My agent's going to collapse carrying you, Ms. Ji-hye.

Su-myeon approached her and spoke casually, slipping a little humor into his words as though nothing were wrong.

As Ji-hye accepted the item in bewilderment, Su-myeon leaned closer and whispered,

“Once we're out, I'll separate you from him.”

That much wouldn't be difficult.

But there was something Su-myeon himself found troubling.

What would happen to her afterward?

If they returned to reality and separated Do-jin from her, Ji-hye would still be left with the body she had acquired inside the ghost story.

Would the Governance have to take responsibility for supporting her for the rest of her life?

His head was already beginning to ache at the thought, but Su-myeon intended to dump that problem on Bok-eum.

‘He'll figure something out.’

Han-su was naturally a man of few words, so there was no noticeable change in his behavior. Su-myeon and Rachel also did their best not to let on that anything was wrong.

After all, even if Do-jin had done something immoral, that didn't necessarily mean he deserved to die.

If he needed to be punished for something in reality, then that was a matter to deal with once they got there.

“From here on, we'll be on the open deck. Even if you hear a voice calling to you, absolutely do not respond.”

Su-myeon paused as he spoke.

3-7) Drifting Siren

Upon stepping onto the deck, a beautiful voice can be heard, much like the Sirens of mythology, capable of paralyzing human reason.

The moment someone is entranced by the voice and approaches the railing, countless hands stretch out from beneath it and seize the person who has drawn near.

Those captured are mercilessly crushed until their entire bodies are mangled and fused into the ship's components. Therefore, under no circumstances should anyone approach the railing or the sea.

“Understood?”

Su-myeon emphasized the warning once more as he addressed Do-jin.

Do-jin nodded.

“Yes. I'll make sure to stay right behind you.”

As for Su-myeon, he intended to get as close to the railing as possible, one way or another, so he could release poison gas and deal with those monsters.

But if someone desired other people more than gold, silver, and precious jewels, wouldn't that make him even more susceptible to the Sirens' temptation?

With that thought, Su-myeon glanced at Do-jin one more time before opening the door to the deck.