"Entered the Stone Forest Path area. Returning to the entrance."
Kaguya Shinomiya once again contacted the command room via her earpiece to report her status. Then, she moved forward, leading her two team members ahead.
Stone Forest Path.
That was the name of the cavern she was walking through.
Stone pillars were distributed on both sides of the path. Coupled with the clusters of stalactites, Kaguya could more or less understand why this place was called the "Stone Forest Path."
The benches that had once been built for the tourist attraction were now mostly collapsed and damaged.
The lights meant for illumination were all extinguished, forcing the exploration team to rely on their portable lighting equipment to move.
Faintly, Kaguya could hear someone speaking in a low voice.
The sound of conversation came from behind the rock wall beside her, from an unknown distance.
She couldn't make out the specific content of what was being said.
However, the warning from her Blessing was growing stronger and stronger. She was certain that if she continued listening to this sound, nothing good would come of it.
Kaguya didn't hesitate. Ignoring the disturbances, she continued to advance cautiously in the darkness, avoiding the clothes scattered on the ground, and approached the direction of the entrance step by step.
Splash—
The sound of flowing water suddenly seemed to ring out.
Kaguya paused for a moment, looking up ahead toward the source of the sound, but she saw nothing.
Splash—
Meanwhile, Gao Hai was already wading through water, about to pass through the Stone Forest Path and reach the area known as "The Plains."
Just a moment ago, he had a strange feeling, as if someone was staring at him.
Gao Hai looked back, somewhat puzzled, but saw only the cavern with dripping water and a churning surface. There was nothing else.
He didn't have time to focus on these strange sensations. He had to use the time he possessed the "Rescue Team" identity to find a way to gather more information about this instance and find the others.
"We're here. This is The Plains."
In the flickering light, Wang Gui followed beside Gao Hai as they walked into a massive cavern, incredibly wide, nearly the size of a soccer field.
This was the largest area in the Red Nut Gray Hole, filled with peculiar rock formations. If it weren't for the water leaking everywhere and the ground being covered by the current, Gao Hai felt he might have been willing to appreciate the scenery.
But now, the pale figures wandering here in rescue team and firefighter uniforms, along with the things that moved with them—dressed like tourists and some that seemed to be explorers—forced Gao Hai to stay alert and proceed with caution.
He felt a strong malice here.
It was impossible to pinpoint the exact direction. It felt as if something was隔着 a thick barrier, projecting intense malice toward this place.
"You said that rescuing someone from here will only start the next loop, and staying too long or running straight out will also start the next loop. Is that right?"
Gao Hai turned and spoke to the new player named Wang Gui.
"Y-yes, that's right. Do you have a plan?"
Wang Gui nodded quickly, asking Gao Hai cautiously.
"I don't necessarily have a plan. I can only give it a try."
With that, Gao Hai started walking, approaching the entrance to the Great Slide.
His target wasn't the Great Slide itself.
It was the guard post located at the entrance to the Great Slide, based on the information Wang Gui had provided on the way.
Splash—
A fierce current of water rolled down the cavern's slope.
Gao Hai could see that the location of the Great Slide should have originally been blocked by a concrete wall, but that wall had now collapsed. The rainwater in the cavern pooled together and flowed down this opening, surging toward the deeper parts of the cave.
Faintly, he could almost see a hand reaching out from behind the breach of the Great Slide, waving at him.
Gao Hai felt an invisible force, as if it was luring him, compelling him, wanting him to approach that breach and enter the depths of the cave through the Great Slide's entrance.
However, this level of mental erosion no longer had any effect on Gao Hai. So, he first had the three players stand far back, then quickly walked toward the guard post. The guard post that appeared in this cavern looked to be in perfect condition, a stark contrast to the completely abandoned one Gao Hai and Chika had found earlier.
He reached out and grabbed the doorknob, turning it gently.
It didn't open. It seemed the door was locked.
Gao Hai knocked hard on the guard post door with his hand, then gave it a kick, but got no response.
Is no one inside?
After a brief hesitation, Gao Hai chose to draw his pistol and aim the muzzle at the lock.
Bang!
After a sharp gunshot, the guard post door was kicked open by Gao Hai, and he strode inside.
Chika Fujiwara looked up, turned around, and looked at the security guard who opened the door and walked in.
Or rather, the thing that walked in, wearing a security guard uniform.
The girl didn't scream.
She just clenched her fists, letting her fingernails dig into her palms and draw blood, not making a single sound as she stared at the thing that had entered.
It was indeed wearing a security guard uniform.
But its body… Chika found it hard to describe. It was as if a person had been flattened bit by bit, with every part of its body appearing flat. Shattered bones and rotten flesh oozed from the gaps in its clothes and from between its skin, flattened all the same.
The only description Chika could think of was someone crushed into a meat paste in a gore film, or a rat run over by a car tire on the highway.
This thing was now standing right in front of her.
Even after becoming this terrifying sight, it was still moving like a normal person.
[Who… are… you?]
The girl heard the thing's muffled question.
"I… I am…"
Even though she was trying with all her might to steady her emotions, Chika's voice still trembled uncontrollably.
[Guard post… not… allowed… to enter…]
The flattened body twisted and stumbled forward, its head, which had been crushed into a pulp, slowly approaching Chika.
The crisis of death was closing in.
Before today, the girl had never felt such intense fear.
Don't panic.
Don't lose your mind.
I have to answer. I must give an answer that conforms to the rules of this place.
[You… cannot… be… here…]
Amidst the muffled voice, the thing's head was almost touching Chika's face.
"I am… a security guard…"
Clenching her teeth, the girl finally gave her answer in this suffocating moment, almost every word she spoke quivering.
The monster's movements paused.
[Security guard…?]
The thing seemed a bit confused by Chika's words. Its movements halted slightly, its twisted body frozen stiff.
"N-no, that's right. I'm a security guard, the security guard here! I'm the newly appointed security guard, Chika Fujiwara!"
Having regained a bit of confidence with her answer, the girl grabbed the chair and backed away slightly, then continued to speak loudly to the monster.
[Security… one shift… only one… no partner… why…]
The thing seemed to grow even more confused. Its voice and movements were like the PC version of The Last of Us running on a 1050 Ti, stuttering to the point of a system crash.
"I'm here to change shifts! I-I'm here to take over from you! Your shift is over, you're off duty now!"
Extremely nervous, Chika Fujiwara shouted her reply almost instantly after it expressed confusion, sweat already beading on her forehead.
[Change shifts? Time… shift change…]
The thing seemed dazed for another moment, then lifted its head as if to look at the clock hanging in the guard post.
But Chika, having anticipated its intention, immediately stood up and blocked the wall clock, waving her hands to obstruct its line of sight—if this flattened thing even had such a thing as "sight."
"A shift change is a shift change. If I say it's time to change shifts, you can really get off work. What, you want to work overtime?"
Chika deliberately asked in a harsh tone.
[Off duty… off duty…]
Seemingly having understood more or less, or perhaps finally having been tricked by the girl, the anomalous creature finally nodded lightly. Then, the tattered security uniform on its body was taken off and casually tossed into a corner.
Without its clothes, the thing was just a pile of flattened, rotten flesh, looking utterly disgusting and terrifying.
But it itself seemed to think it was just an ordinary security guard. It dropped the clothes, put down the flashlight, hung the keys on a hook by the door, and then slowly turned and left the guard post, not forgetting to close the door properly before leaving.
"Ah… that scared me to death…"
It wasn't until the sound of its footsteps had completely faded that Chika Fujiwara finally let out a sigh of relief and collapsed onto the floor.
She looked up and saw a map, a framed map hanging on the wall with the title: [Red Nut Gray Hole Tourist Map].
Getting to her feet, the girl walked back to the desk, lowered her head, and saw a not-so-long set of regulations pressed under the glass top of the desk.
[Great Slide Security Personnel Regulations:]
[Welcome to your position as a security officer at the Red Nut Gray Hole restricted point. Here are the regulations you need to follow during your work. We believe this work experience will become a unique memory for you, and we sincerely hope you will fulfill your duties.]
[1. Your job is to stay here for 12 hours and ensure the security of the perimeter wall. The day shift is from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and the night shift is from 6:00 PM to 6:00 AM the next day. Do not leave your post without authorization during your shift. Do not leave "The Plains" area.]
[2. You are required to patrol every 30 minutes. The patrol area is solely the containment wall of the Great Slide. Carry a flashlight to illuminate the wall and conduct a visual inspection. Do not touch the containment wall with your hands.]
[3. If you discover any cracks or collapses in the containment wall, do not approach to handle it. Return to your guard post and contact external staff via the communicator. If there is no response, please leave the Red Nut Gray Hole via the "Stone Forest Path" and go outside the cavern to notify other staff members. Do not take the "Gentle Slope."]
[4. Your work is performed solo; you do not have a partner. Therefore, unless it is time for a shift change, no one will come to relieve you or patrol with you. If someone appears during your shift and claims to be your partner, ignore them. As long as you do not engage with them, they will leave on their own after a while. The company will not be held responsible for any disputes that may occur.]
[5. Ensure the guard post door is locked at all times. Whether you are on patrol or inside the post, lock the door. Do not let tourists slip inside, and do not open the door for anyone who knocks and tries to enter. A reminder: if you get into a dispute with others, the company will not be held responsible. You will be required to pay double for any damage to guard post property.]
[6. Your flashlight will be recharged and replaced by company personnel daily to ensure it has sufficient power, so there is no need to worry about the battery running out. If the flashlight flickers, its light weakens, or it fails to illuminate, it is malfunctioning. You may terminate the current patrol, return to the guard post to rest, and use a different flashlight for the next patrol round.]
[7. The power supply to the guard post is very stable and will not experience outages. If a power outage occurs in the guard post, you should suspend your security duties, leave the Red Nut Gray Hole as quickly as possible via the "Stone Forest Path" to notify other staff. Do not be curious about or respond to any sounds from the "Gentle Slope." Do not approach the "Gentle Slope" at this time.]
[8. When you are in the guard post, ignore anyone outside asking for help, especially those claiming they need you to rescue someone behind the Great Slide. That is a prank by local residents.]
[9. You are not to discuss what you have seen or heard during your security work with anyone. As a security officer, you have signed the strictest confidentiality agreement. For the sake of your job, remain silent. If the scenic area's tourist numbers decrease due to your rumors, the compensation you will be liable for is an amount you could never repay in your lifetime.]
[The above are the regulations for security personnel. Please memorize and adhere to them. The company's security department will periodically check your work to confirm you are properly fulfilling your duties.]
Is this a new set of horror rules?
The girl in the security uniform frowned, carefully reading through the regulations once and committing the words firmly to memory. Then she turned her head, looked at the time on the wall, and saw that it was around nine-thirty.
It was unclear whether it was 9:30 AM or 9:30 PM, but in any case, did this mean that at ten o'clock sharp, she would have to leave this guard post and go outside to patrol?
Also, these rules seem vastly different from the explorer rules from before.
"After the disaster versus before the disaster?"
Chika closed her eyes, muttering to herself in thought. Then she looked up again, gazing through the guard post window at the empty, deathly silent cavern outside.
________________________________________
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