ALL NOVEL Chapter 4
It’s been a week since I became a landlord. What have I been doing all this time…
I’ve been playing around.
Well, is there a problem with the fact that I want to have some fun now that I’ve acquired passive income?
Not having to work is the best…
Sure, I didn’t really put in much effort before, but that must just be my imagination.
Anyway, what I mean to say is that I’m really enjoying this lifestyle right now.
So…
It’s a bit unpleasant when these new variables start creeping into my daily life.
– What’s the target’s location?
– It’s still in the same place.
– Quietly approach.
“Everyone can hear you.”
The nuisances that had been gathering ever since the broadcast started are finally trying to move now that it’s over.
Well, they probably think about launching a direct attack but wouldn’t do it while the stream is still live.
Common sense dictates that.
But if they had any common sense, would they even think about doing something like this?
Ever since I acquired ownership of the [Ordinary Apartment], I’ve been feeling something peculiar.
It feels strange to say it, but it’s like I’m not actually in my body yet everything inside this apartment feels as familiar as my own skin.
‘Everyone’s wearing black suits, they look like agents or something.’
In fact, they weren’t behaving quietly while the broadcast was on either.
They were operating some strange machines that radiated odd electromagnetic waves.
From what I gather, it seems like they’re using EMP grenades…
Seriously, this is Seoul, and they think they can use that stuff?
Though it was useless.
To be fair, the water and electricity in this apartment are functioning well without any real connections.
Still, it’s a wonder how the utilities are working well enough.
“I can’t help but think this is a battle story.”
Aren’t those kinds of agents totally unrelated to ghost stories?
– They’re invading… zzt
– Wh-what’s happening!
– Where are these… tzz
Not that I have any intention of fighting back.
I mean, those losers are carrying guns, right?
A group openly carrying weapons in 21st century Korea…
What a terrifying world.
*
Sometimes, it seems there’s nothing impossible.
There are people who scream out that if you just try, anything can be done.
Do I really need to see that throwing an egg at a rock would break it?
Sure, someone might argue that if you throw enough eggs, it’ll break, but in reality, it’s just a waste of a lot of eggs.
We call beings who blindly attempt such clearly visible outcomes foolish.
Courage and recklessness are different things.
“I’m heading back.”
“Are you giving up on the capture? Changing the plan?”
“Change? Forget it, just scrap the whole thing.”
We were dispatched to capture [Abnormality That Eats Abnormality], but there wasn’t a lack of a fallback plan either.
If we suspected failure or that they might fall into the hands of the alliance, there was a plan to shoot them on sight.
But that has to be a feasible option; trying it now would just mean signing up for a death sentence.
Truly, it’s wise to avoid attempting the impossible altogether.
“But if we just turn back, the manager will scold us.”
“Then go die alone.”
“Hey… there’s no need to talk like that, Deputy…”
“If you use that tone one more time, I’ll rip out your tongue.”
“……”
Seeing the irritating rookie shut up, the deputy looked again at the apartment.
Those things mimicking humans were slaughtering the trained agents of the [Alliance].
And there was an entity in a security uniform directing them.
‘I remember that the first encounter was the [Abnormality] that was disguised as a security guard, right?’
At least I won’t be breaking it when I return.
“I think they seem regretful; look, others are retreating too.”
At the deputy’s words, the rookie touched his glasses and started glancing around.
“That’s true….”
“It just means these guys weren’t our intended targets. So we won’t get in trouble, let’s just move on.”
“Yes…”
The [Temple] and [Artist] also chose to retreat.
Then we have no reason to stay either.
If we catch the eye of that monster, we’ll end up taking all the blame.
After all, [Companies] never engage in losing endeavors.
“They’ve left.”
I was wondering what they were searching for from afar, only for them to vanish without doing anything.
“Hmm, has the story begun?”
Having lived through various worlds, I know that the world follows a huge story arc called fate.
A peaceful and boring era is merely a respite; given the right trigger, the world reknits its destiny.
“I guess a protagonist has been born.”
Or maybe it’s an awakening.
In slice-of-life stories, that’s fine, but most protagonists are a burden, you know.
Especially in a world like this…
I frowned a little, thinking that the world might become noisy soon.
“Well, if I’ve lived steadily for 20 years, it was about time something happened.”
Whether I like it or not, I can’t change the world.
“Well, as long as the protagonist stays safe, that’s what matters.”
Being next to a protagonist typically means getting mixed into a slew of bizarre incidents.
In a world that’s a blend of ghost stories and battle stories, I have no desire to experience just how heart-pounding those events could be.
“To do that, I need to figure out who the protagonist is, so in the end, I need information.”
As I approached, entities resembling residents made way for me.
What I saw then was the leader of a crew in a suit, covered in blood, with limbs bent in strange angles.
“I don’t know much. Would you tell me?”
The man’s eyes were filled with horror.
*
The man’s mouth was heavy.
He could be considered one of those stubborn humans, even among my seven lives.
Stubbornness, loyalty, and courage are present with him.
This time, however, that courage has turned into recklessness.
Well, if I assess him, he’s likely to be reincarnated as a reincarnator in his next life, assuming he plays his cards right.
Huh?
Weren’t you just saying he’s engulfed in fear?
Just because someone is loyal and brave doesn’t mean they won’t feel fear.
Fear is fear, and confronting and overcoming it is what makes someone brave.
That doesn’t mean I can’t dig for information, either.
Even excluding extraordinary measures like brainwashing or supernatural powers, there’s still a valid way.
The human body definitely has parts that surpass the spirit.
No matter how strong and upright the spirit is, it’s an individual trait; it doesn’t mean it’s invulnerable to external stimuli.
For instance,
If you repeatedly inflict a painful sensation that doesn’t kill a person, inducing a situation just shy of madness, then maintaining that precarious state could result in the subject completely forgetting to hide any information in their mind.
They wouldn’t even retain any memory of having given out their information.
One of the lessons from my seven lives.
“Hmm, ultimately, the premise that this is a ghost story checks out.”
Wait…
If I had to nitpick, this is closer to an SCP narrative, right?
The difference being that it’s a world in a situation that’s quite serious in some sense.
At least in that universe, the foundation collects all the [Abnormal Entities], assigns numbers, and manages them properly.
Even if an incident occurs, it’s at a level where the foundation can cover it up.
But this world…
“How is it even maintained?”
No matter how I think about it, there seems to be no answer.
These [Abnormal Entities] in this world are a type of thought manifestation.
A mass of thoughts formed from human fear and dread, along with baseless beliefs that such things merely exist.
The problem is that such thoughts are usually negative, and [Abnormal Entities] born from these negative thoughts are hostile towards humans.
Especially since we’re in the 21st century information society.
With ghost stories and conspiracy theories spreading indiscriminately on the internet.
What once might have been a local tale in a small village or perhaps one city has now crossed the sea of information to spread worldwide.
It’s, of course, understood that…
As thoughts are essentially entities, the stronger and more numerous they become, the more potent the [Abnormal Entities] grow.
The endless dissemination of information, rumors, and the ever-growing population have now surpassed the level the world can manage.
Ghosts born from ordinary ghost stories now exist as beings on par with deities from ancient mythological times—this insane situation is real.
The reason they suddenly attacked? There’s truly no retreat left for them.
What had shown signs since the late 20th century has become unmanageable in the 21st century.
Amidst that, entities presumed to be [Abnormality That Eats Abnormality] have emerged.
For the [Alliance], which has the goal of advancing and protecting humans, these are targets that absolutely must be incorporated or captured.
This time, their aggressive stance happened because they judged that the previously dispatched agent went missing and thus deemed the assimilation a failure, now attempting to capture.
Although I never laid eyes on that agent.
“If the timing is right, could it have been when I was in the back room?”
If that agent fell into the back room…
“They’ve probably died.”
Unless it’s somewhere else, entering the parking lot even once would make it unlikely they lived.
I suppose I’ll offer some prayers for them later.
Anyway.
“I slipped up there. I lack such abilities.”
What these entities mistook as having devoured an [Abnormality] was merely a scene of an entity dying and fading away.
Well, after a hunt, maybe my body feels a little healthier, wounds recover, or I get some money…
“Wait?”
Come to think of it, have I ever encountered mobs other than the ones in the apartment?
“Huh?”