Plodding along.

I’m quietly walking through an exhibit that showcases plucked-out human eyes.

And, as if that wasn’t enough, I’m accompanied by the kind of character you'd call human trash in a ghost-story setting.

“If only Baek Saheon would just keep his mouth shut and be a human totem.”

On the way here, I caught sight of shadows with grotesque forms crawling along the ground a few times from a distance. Each time, I couldn’t be more thankful to have someone next to me…

“As long as I don’t let my guard down. Just don’t let your guard down.”

Braun, with a tone that seemed like he was finding some amusement in this, spoke to me.

“– Roe Deer, he has a rather fascinating way of speaking. It’s almost as if he’s a different person entirely.”

‘You don’t like it?’

“– How could I not? It’s incredibly intriguing. It feels like he’s created a persona, exaggerated just enough to fit the performance.”

Hmm. Close enough.

“– So, is your goal simply to get out of this grand exhibition as quickly as possible?”

Correct.

And also…

‘I’ve already made an escape plan.’

I had confirmed that this exhibition was recorded as the 17th entry in the <Chronicles of Darkness Exploration>, and based my escape method on that case.

I’ve decided what to use from the items I have.

“– Oh!”

“– But is there really a need to call it an ‘escape’? Couldn’t you just grab any staff member and ask them to guide you to the exit? I’m sure they’d oblige kindly!”

And that’s where the problem starts.

‘In this exhibition, the guides are machines.’

I mean those monsters that swing their spider-like legs around.

“– Hmm. So?”

‘And each machine only knows information about its own designated area.’

-------------------------------

For the convenience of our visitors, each section of the exhibition has a guide assigned to assist.

While some visitors have referred to these guides as 'monsters' in their testimonies, please note that these are Mitrhril Kiosk-style automated steam mannequins.

Though slightly outdated, being vintage models from Imperial Year 62627, their memory capabilities are limited to their designated areas. Nonetheless, they are treasured, historically significant artistic collectibles.

For a wholesome viewing experience, we kindly ask that you refrain from derogatory remarks.

-------------------------------

What this means is, if you want to ask about the exit, you’d have to go to the area where the exit is and talk to the staff there.

By the time you manage that… if too much time has passed, you’ll be "charged a fee" and turned into a hideous human grub as punishment.

Not to mention that just figuring out which area the exit is located in is an incredibly difficult task.

‘But there’s a hint.’

I stopped walking.

I had found what I was looking for.

“…An elevator?”

In front of Baek Saheon and me stood a quaint, old-fashioned elevator.

The brass-colored elevator was fenced off with an iron grate, and small light bulbs flickered at the front.

There was also a guide panel beside it, detailing the floors and usage instructions—except, of course, it was written in a script we couldn’t read.

‘One of those elements that crank up the exploration difficulty.’

The language barrier.

Baek Saheon furrowed his brow.

“…You’re going to ride this?”

“Not sure yet.”

“You don’t even know which floor it’ll take you to. Are you out of your mind?”

I stared silently at Baek Saheon. He quickly looked away.

‘Did he think I’d actually do that?’

But I happen to have a ghost-story talk show host who claims to be fluent in all languages!

‘Braun. Could you possibly read what’s written on this elevator guide for me?’

“– Not a problem, my friend!”

Braun cleared his throat and then kindly explained in a smooth voice…

“– This elevator is staffed by a guide. Simply tell them the floor you’d like to go to, and they’ll press the button for you. How charmingly old-fashioned…”

In other words, riding the elevator means you’ll have no choice but to encounter a guide and risk having your eyes plucked out.

I already knew this, but it still made me swallow hard.

‘Is there anything about the exit in the description?’

“– Unfortunately, no! Most of it is about the floors and their exhibits.”

“– Oh, and you’re currently on the second floor, Roe Deer. Oh, wait—there’s also some information about the history of this mansion.”

“…!”

This was new information that wasn’t in the <Chronicles of Darkness Exploration>.

"Keep going."

“– Of course, my friend!”

“– This is the grand estate of a very distinguished noble collector. Thanks to his philanthropic desire to share his art and philosophy, this perpetual exhibition is held.”

“– Additionally, this historic mansion is comprised of seven floors above ground… and 7,221 floors below ground.”

“….”

Wait.

What?

‘7,221 floors underground?’

“– Indeed. It seems they’ve been collecting for quite some time!”

I froze.

‘…I knew there were underground floors.’

That much had been hinted at before.

The initial records of this ghost story, Mansion of the Sightless Ones, were based on people who were either lucky enough to escape from the ground floors or who died before they could leave.

These records are the reason for this ghost story’s popularity.

As the records were updated and expanded, the narrative’s world grew.

Eventually, one of the explorers figured it out.

-------------------------------

The 23rd record is a testimony left by a visitor who accessed the underground floors via the elevator.

-------------------------------

The existence of the underground floors.

And so began a series of accounts of people who descended below ground after failing to find a way out on the surface.

The accounts detailed their relentless descent, floor by floor, searching for an exit—evoking a suffocating, chilling terror.

This is when the ghost story shifted into the realm of cosmic horror.

The exploration records, designed to leave readers breathless and overwhelmed, began to delve into increasingly unearthly realms.

Some records even described people who, having given up on escape, descended endlessly into the depths, half-mad.

-------------------------------

This is a testimony from a visitor who explored the exhibition on the 105th underground floor.

Employee 753: "The unimaginable and dreadful things I cannot see with my ears are truly beautiful. The framework of ■■ is built from human ■■. Die for this.”

No further records exist.

‘Thank you for your meaningful reflections. We strive to enhance exhibition management to provide even more profound experiences.’

-------------------------------

The deeper you go, the more grotesque and incomprehensible the collection becomes. At some point, the accounts cease to be written in human language, leaving behind only endless censorship and a void of incomprehensible dread.

Beyond that, lie thousands of unknowable mysteries…

Slap!

I slapped my own face.

“…?!”

Focus.

‘There are multiple exits.’

Even if their locations change with each exhibition cycle, that fact remains consistent.

I’ve read accounts of people escaping through different exits on different floors during the same cycle.

‘I can do this.’

It doesn’t matter how astronomically vast this place is or how incomprehensible its architecture is. The exit might even be nearby.

I’ve got over a hundred cycles' worth of exploration data, and I even have the records from this cycle. It would be stupid to lose hope now.

‘I already have the hints I need, even if the specific floors aren’t spelled out.’

Don’t get overwhelmed by the scale of the ghost story—move quickly.

Don’t act like an idiot… stay focused!

‘…Alright.’

I took a deep breath and began walking.

Toward the staircase next to the elevator.

“Wait, so you’re not taking the elevator… How do you know where you’re going?”

“We’re on the second floor.”

“…?”

“Now I’m heading to the 1st underground floor.”

“Underground floor? There’s a basement… Wait, this is the second floor? How do you even know that?”

“Braun told me.”

“….”

“Aren’t you grateful?”

“….”

“– You’re welcome!”

Surprisingly, Baek Saheon didn’t run away this time either.

Hmm. I’ll keep interactions at about this level from now on.

* * *

Even as I descended the stairs, the decor remained unchanged. The same dim brass tones and ominous shadows stretched endlessly.

It felt as though I were viewing the same floor over and over again.

And then, at the bottom of one flight of stairs, the staircase abruptly ended.

‘…These stairs don’t lead to the underground after all.’

I decided to search the first floor for new stairs or another means of descent.

Of course, there was no more small talk with Baek Saheon.

This was because the mechanical sounds around us were growing increasingly frequent.

‘It means we’re approaching the main exhibition hall, where the guides nearly always linger on rotation.’

Crawling on all fours and keeping as silent as possible, I looked up and spotted a large sign hanging just beneath the ceiling.

‘There it is.’

The main exhibition hall sign.

Ornately carved and lavishly decorated, it bore an elegant script… entirely unreadable to us.

“– ‘The Power of Emotions.’ What a unique exhibition title!”

“…!”

I recognized it from the <Chronicles of Darkness Exploration>. Just reading the title sent chills down my spine.

‘What the hell.’

I fought the urge to turn and walk away immediately.

‘If I’m going to explore for an exit anyway, I’ll have to see this eventually.’

In a situation where securing a route is critical, avoiding “unsafe” exhibitions is idiotic.

So, clenching my teeth, I slowly approached…

And the moment I peered into the open, ornately embossed doors with shimmering reliefs—

An exhibition space unfolded before us.

Accompanied by a sound that surged like waves.

Ahhhhhhhhhh.

The sight of countless mouths screaming came into view.

More precisely, teeth and tongues.

The wall was entirely covered with an ornate Baroque-style frame housing the oral cavities of humans.

Each frame seemed to have an artificial vocal cord installed, reciting poetry in different voices, languages, and tones.

Hundreds, thousands of these frames combined to create an astonishingly bizarre harmony and scale of sound.

And beneath them...

On the ground writhed maggot-like figures.

Huhhhhh... Huuurrrk.

People who had lost the ability to utter human language flailed on the ground, their eye sockets filled with extinguished buttons.

These were individuals who had been ‘charged’ multiple times, reduced to mere shadows of their humanity.

The contrast between the elegantly displayed oral cavity frames and these poor, disfigured people only made the scene more grotesque... more horrifying...

‘Ugh.’

I felt like throwing up.

The chill was so overwhelming that I looked down to ground myself.

Calm down.

Calm.

‘They're not company employees,’ I reassured myself.

They must have been people who got caught in this nightmare days ago.

Those poor souls... No, I can't dwell on this. I need to let these thoughts pass as quickly as possible.

Screeeeech.

A shadow of a guide machine appeared in the distance, drawing closer.

Baek Saheon and I held our breath and crouched in a nearby ventilation duct.

The shadow of the guide machine moved among the writhing figures.

It seemed to be dragging away lifeless bodies.

The sounds of corpses being dragged mingled with the mechanical noise.

“...”

“...”

After a suffocating few minutes...

“Hey.”

“...”

“They took the corpses. Corpses must hold some value, right? As payment?”

What is wrong with this guy?

“They must not have had any value as payment while alive. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been left like that until death.”

“Ah, makes sense.”

Even in this situation, I had to endure this kind of deranged logic.

And on top of that, I had to make up lies.

‘If I were to be honest... of course they’d have value!’

Since we’re treated as “visitors,” it is likely because they only charged parts like eyes or noses—things that wouldn’t directly kill us!

I bet brains or spinal cords would be considered valuable, too. There was even a floor where such things were displayed.

But I couldn’t tell him that. If I did, this guy might start carrying around those bodies to use as payment.

So, I kept quiet.

“...!”

The guide machines disappeared, leaving the ground floor exhibition hall empty.

Suddenly, people emerged from the shadows under tables and other dark corners, whispering to each other before scattering and running.

They were wearing masks.

‘Employees…!’

The mask shapes and formal suits were unmistakable.

They were colleagues—our company’s field exploration staff—who had likely been hiding in restricted areas, barely avoiding the machines.

“Hey.”

What now?

“If you spot a rookie among them, let’s bring them along. It’s better to have one or two more people, right?”

“Why?”

Baek Saheon looked at me as if I’d asked the most obvious question in the world.

“We’ll need bait if we encounter a monster.”

This bastard.

Feigning curiosity, I tilted my head.

“We already have bait.”

“What?”

“You.”

Baek Saheon’s face hardened for a moment before relaxing again.

“Right. I also wanted to bring someone along to use as bait.”

“Great. Just let them know you’ll use them as bait.”

“...”

“I told you, didn’t I? You should be as courteous as I am.”

Baek Saheon clamped his mouth shut, his face showing exasperation.

This guy tires me out. Truly.

‘I miss you, Lizard Manager.’

I miss the short answers of a no-nonsense professional.

But as I watched a figure emerge from behind a couch near the exhibition hall’s edge and start running, I froze.

“...!”

It was someone I recognized.

“...”

“...! What are they doing...?”

After hesitating for a moment, I stepped out of the vent and waved.

The person, startled to see me, quickly lowered their voice.

“...! Sol—no, Roe Deer, right? Is it okay to call you that?”

“Yes, Goral.”

Go Yeongeun.

The new hire who had enthusiastically supported my opinion on the subway was standing there. Hadn’t she mentioned dropping out of medical school?

“So, you were assigned to this too? Anyway, I’m glad to see you’re safe.”

“...Thank you.”

Wearing the mask she’d been issued, Go Yeongeun looked much calmer than when we’d first met.

Though her eyes were bloodshot.

‘Has she adapted to the job...?’

I was almost moved by how she could hold a rational conversation despite the madness of this situation.

Go Yeongeun cautiously scanned the surroundings and whispered, lowering her voice further.

“By the way, there’s a sealed window nearby that I was trying to open. Did you happen to see anything like a lever on your way here? I think using an exhibit item would be against the rules...”

“You can’t.”

“Pardon?”

“You’re trying to escape through the window, aren’t you?”

“...Would that be bad?”

You can’t.

In the exploration records of this haunted exhibition, windows are only mentioned once. Do you know what it says?

-------------------------------

The 19th entry features testimony from a visitor who attempted to leave through a window. However, due to credibility issues, the account has been omitted.

This exhibition has no windows.

-------------------------------

It’s a trap.

I quickly fabricated a plausible excuse.

“Something tells me that you'll physically leave the building if you exit through a window. …But not this ghost story.”

“...Ha.”

Go Yeongeun’s face turned pale.

“You’re right. This isn’t reality... finding an exit door must be the answer.”

“I think so too.”

“But we don’t even know what floor we’re on...”

“I checked. We’re on the first floor.”

“...! How... Wait. The first floor?”

A glimmer of hope appeared in Go Yeongeun’s eyes.

“Then there’s a high chance a door is nearby! Exhibition entrances are usually on the first floor. If we search carefully...”

I forced myself to speak.

“...The reason doors are usually on the first floor is because we live on solid ground.”

“That’s—”

“Can we be sure that applies to the original visitors of this exhibition?”

“...”

Go Yeongeun immediately grasped my point and fell silent.

‘How can you be certain the monster would place the door on the first floor?’

Despair settled heavily on her face, much like it had on mine a few minutes ago.

“Then... what do we do? Should we have asked the guide machine earlier? But I can’t meet those machines again. I don’t have another chance...”

“You don’t have another chance?”

“...”

Go Yeongeun hesitated, then brushed her hair back slightly.

Where their ear should have been...

There was only a stitched scar.

“They... They took my ear.”

“...”

“They kept saying, ‘Ear for an eye! Ear for an eye!’ while gesturing. So, I  guess they accepted it? It didn’t even hurt. I-It’s so strange...”

Go Yeongeun trembled faintly.

“And I think they put something in its place... I can still hear, though. It’s weird. Is it an artificial cochlea or something?”

Ah, damn it.

“I mean, the store also sells those magical potions for regeneration, it’ll be fine, right?”

“It’s going to be fine,” I said firmly.

“You’ll be fine. Let’s focus on finding a way out.”

“...Yes.”

Go Yeongeun’s breathing gradually steadied. Her mental resilience was incredible, given the circumstances.

Honestly, I was impressed.

But not everyone seemed to think so.

“Shall we move on now? Let’s not waste too much time.”

“...! Baek Saheon.”

As Baek Saheon emerged from the vent, wearing his goat mask, Go Yeongeun’s expression turned cautious.

“Wait, are you going around with him?”

“It just happened that way. Yes.”

“...Alright.”

Go Yeongeun eyed Baek Saheon warily but didn’t abandon me, choosing to stick with us.

‘Thank you…’

It’s been so long since I’ve had a normal companion.

After dealing with psychopaths and possessed people, I felt like crying from relief.

Still, Go Yeongeun muttered quietly, “He even picked a mask that suits him perfectly... Do you know goats are a symbol of the devil in the West?”

“Wow, and lambs are a symbol of sacrifice. Did you know that?”

“At least lambs are beneficial to humanity.”

Baek Saheon smirked dismissively, while Go Yeongeun ignored him.

“– Is this some kind of interlude skit? They’re funny.”

Yes.

Except it’s not a skit. They’re really going at each other. That’s the problem.

‘This party’s synergy is a disaster,’ I thought grimly.

But our destination was drawing near.

“...!”

We found it.

At the end of the corridor was a staircase leading to the basement.

[Note: It’s interesting because 산양 Yeongeun’s mask directly translates to a mountain goat, in this case, a goral, which is a Korean mountain goat. 

산 = Mountain 양= Sheep/Lamb, but in east asia, 양 was generally used to describe most hooved animals. Technically, saheon is right, but also wrong haha.

Goral, sheep, and goats are all closely related. So, they’re kinda dissing each other lol]