Chapter 28
I hesitated for a moment, then quietly washed the soles of my feet in water. The blood that had stuck to them fell off, turning the water red.
I wiped my feet against the floor until all the blood was gone, watching cautiously, then took a careful step away from that spot.
“Hopefully, no one saw that.”
I felt a slight relief.
It was still smelly and scary, but better than having insect corpses stuck to my feet.
The stench around me became unbearable.
Even if I pinched my nose, the smell wouldn’t go away.
“What on earth is this smell?”
I frowned at a scent I had never smelled in my life.
I needed to follow the direction the arrow pointed, but I could barely move my feet.
And it made sense—it was water, the thing I most wanted to avoid.
Standing frozen like a stone, the arrow flickered impatiently, as if urging me to move forward.
I moistened my dry lips with my tongue, let out a trembling sigh, and walked forward.
A few steps in, my chest pounding with anticipation over what kind of monster would appear, I froze completely.
The entire area was filled with water.
I didn’t know the layout, but there were steps descending before me.
And…
Splash, splash.
Dirty water mixed with black and blue seaweed.
“So this was the source of the smell?”
Floating debris in the water was enough to make my stomach churn.
Even if it were clean water, I would have hesitated—but it was getting dirtier and darker.
The seemingly deep space triggered not only my fear of water but also a fear of the deep sea.
As I hesitated and stepped back, something quietly surfaced.
“…?”
It looked like a human head, with sharp red eyes visible through black hair.
The monster didn’t move but rolled its eyes in a grotesque way.
Every time I faced these monsters, they acted so strangely I almost went mad with shock.
Suddenly, bubbles started rising around the monster, filling the surface like a swimming pool, then abruptly stopped.
It was like something out of a horror movie, right in front of me.
Fear made me bite my lips.
“I need to run…”
The ghost with the rolling eyes stared at me, tracking my slightest movement.
Then, one by one, heads began floating to the surface until they completely covered it.
Except for the ghost staring at me, the rest rolled their eyes in a terrifying manner. I clasped my trembling hands together.
The ghost watching me could strike at any moment, so I didn’t blink and stepped backward carefully.
First, I needed to retreat…
Splash.
Something floated toward my feet.
Touching it, I could barely make out its shape—it seemed fragile, as if it would crumble at a touch.
Claws? No… it was a human leg.
“Ah!”
I screamed instinctively and, realizing my mistake, clamped my hands over my mouth.
Red eyes floated up from the water, all staring at me simultaneously.
My heart pounded uncontrollably.
My body shook, and the leg in the water kept bumping my feet.
The water surged, and another body floated down.
I couldn’t control it anymore; tears streamed down uncontrollably.
I couldn’t make a sound, so I choked back my sobs, biting the inside of my lips.
W-what is this place? What is this?!
I knew it would be like this.
“The scariest things are water ghosts…!”
Fear choked my throat, but I lifted my nunchaku. I couldn’t make a loud noise because they had sensitive hearing.
A single scream would make all the ghosts float toward me. I whispered while trembling.
“A-ahhh…”
[You lack confidence!]
I just couldn’t feel confident. I tried whining and getting frustrated, but the system was merciless, giving no help.
Earlier, I called it a trash game… Sorry.
I gave up expecting help from a system that wouldn’t even accept a simple apology. I wiped my soaking face and took deep, steady breaths.
“Calm down, calm down.”
I had to stay calm, even if the ghosts made me panic.
I needed to think logically. There was no guarantee that Suriel’s collection was even in the water.
No matter how much the arrow flickered, there was no guarantee I had to go into the water.
I babbled nonsense even I didn’t understand.
I just had to find a way to destroy Suriel’s collection without entering the water.
I didn’t know why the king wanted it destroyed, but if the king said so, I had to obey.
Right now, the system was like a king—an authoritarian one at that.
If I could find the room with the collection by going around…
But I couldn’t finish the thought.
The arrow pointing at the water grew bigger, impossible to ignore.
It clearly indicated that I must enter the water, no matter what.
Into what looked like a swimming pool.
Why…?
Why hide it in a swimming pool?
Wouldn’t he be unable to see it himself? Especially in such a dirty place?
I was deeply impressed and horrified by Suriel’s twisted aesthetic sense.
[Suriel placed everything he collected into the swimming pool. Fingers, hair, ears, and other body parts he had been collecting after being sealed floated freely in the water. Don’t worry, your body won’t rot.]
Was that supposed to be reassuring?
Judging by the window, I had no choice but to enter.
No matter where I went, I would face the water ghosts.
Also, it was different from the game.
Hair, fingers, ears…?
In the game, it was just hair, fingernails, and fingers. Why were there more?
Now there were legs and arms too.
Those had never been stored in glass jars—they had been left to rot because they didn’t match his aesthetic taste.
…Wait. So the floating debris on the water…
“Ugh.”
I gagged involuntarily.
Why were these demons so twisted?
Even as an optimist, even if I rushed forward with the will to survive, I was still terrified.
The system, perhaps frustrated that I wasn’t moving, finally popped up a window.
[Since you reached Suriel’s ‘Collector’s Room’ without injury, here’s an easier way!]
[09th story “Set Me Free” – Glass jars with body parts break automatically if the water is removed!]
I considered bailing out the water but quickly realized it was impossible.
This place was already filled like a sunken ship. No buckets, no place to put water—there was no choice but to go in.
The water level, previously around my feet, had risen to my ankles.
The water level is rising.
I needed to get out first.
Quest or no quest, survival came first. I decided to escape and figure out the next steps.
As I tried to turn back, I hit an invisible barrier and fell backward.
“Ugh!”
Splash!
I jumped up immediately, arms outstretched. The transparent wall blocked all escape routes.
Could it be…?
[You cannot leave this area while performing the quest.]
I pressed my hand against the translucent wall, sliding helplessly down.
