Chapter 08
I narrowed my eyes at the system window, wondering what kind of ending this was supposed to be.
Unfortunately, staring at it didn’t miraculously turn the ■■■ characters into readable text.
The next system message that appeared was just as incomprehensible.
‘Han Goyo’ has made their name known to Akasha!
Current Recognition: 0.02%
Recognition?
Recognition by whom? And why had it increased by such a pitiful 0.02%?
While I was examining the system window from every angle, something unexpected happened.
The Smiley before me suddenly began melting into a shimmering rainbow-coloured liquid.
There wasn’t even time to react.
As it dissolved completely, countless beams of light shot out from the collapsing factory.
Like a meteor shower, the streams of light flew into the rainbow liquid.
Then…
Smiley disappeared.
Leaving behind only a single unfamiliar candy.
I slowly knelt down and picked it up.
Happy Smile Candy: Eating it fills you with happiness and makes you smile.
The rainbow-coloured candy was shaped like Smiley’s face.
As I stood there blankly, holding it in my hand, another system message appeared.
You strongly feel that you must consume this item.
When I’d been forced to accept the system window earlier, I’d secretly hoped for something.
Maybe Smiley and the toys would become items that could be taken outside.
But…
I never imagined it would happen like this.
I stared at the candy for a moment before carefully placing it into my inventory.
The Trial <Happy Smile Factory> has ended.
This Trial will be permanently sealed in 80 seconds.
“Th-This is… the True Ending, right?”
I turned toward Mo Hae-in.
After reading the system message, she looked back at me with trembling eyes.
“This is the True Ending, isn’t it…? I’m not seeing things, am I…? Permanently sealed…”
A Trial’s True Ending carried a special meaning.
It meant the Trial would be permanently closed, and every survivor trapped inside would return.
A Trial cleared with the True Ending would never regenerate.
Everyone trapped within it would be released.
Even those whose bodies had mutated would return completely to normal.
In Happy Smile Factory’s case, the factory workers trapped inside would all be rescued.
The True Ending was the only way to save the survivors imprisoned in a Trial.
However, its difficulty was practically impossible.
Successful cases were exceedingly rare.
When I first started playing Archive, one of the NPCs had told me that there had only ever been nine successful True Ending clears in the entire world.
“Yes,” I answered.
“It’s the True Ending.”
Smiling faintly, I congratulated Mo Hae-in.
“Good work, Captain.”
“…”
She simply stared at me.
A moment later, her face twisted, and she abruptly turned away.
I could see the back of her neck turning red from emotional excitement.
Normally, Mo Hae-in wasn’t someone who showed her emotions so openly.
I quietly looked elsewhere, giving her time to regain her composure.
Fortunately, it didn’t take long.
Once she’d calmed down, she spoke in a low whisper.
“…Thank you.”
Once we got out of here, explaining who I was would be a headache.
Still…
At least I probably wouldn’t be treated like a smuggler anymore.
Right then, another system message appeared.
You are the greatest contributor to <Happy Smile Factory>.
You may take ‘1’ item from the Trial.
When a Trial was cleared through the True Ending—or certain special endings—the people with the highest contribution could take an item out with them.
For Happy Smile Factory, only the top contributor was eligible.
Without hesitation, I chose the Happy Smile Candy.
Mo Hae-in looked curious about what I’d selected, but she didn’t ask.
There would be plenty of time to interrogate me later.
There was no need to ask now.
Eighty seconds later, the system announced the Trial’s closure.
The scenery before my eyes crumpled apart, dissolving into countless fluorescent colours.
Then…
I returned to the outside world.
***
The place where Happy Smile Factory had manifested was an abandoned factory site.
Police tape surrounded the area.
People from all walks of life lay unconscious throughout the abandoned factory grounds.
A chilly wind brushed against my skin.
Wearing nothing but a white short-sleeved T-shirt and grey sweatpants, I instinctively reached over to rub my arms.
“…Urgh.”
I stopped myself with a groan.
Besides my injured thigh, countless smaller wounds covered my body.
If this had been the game, I would’ve cleared it without taking a single hit.
There was an enormous difference between clicking a keyboard and mouse…
…and moving my own body in real life.
I’d exercised diligently every single day.
Even so, I couldn’t ignore how inadequate my physical abilities felt.
Clearing the game without taking damage using only the default physical abilities simply wasn’t realistic.
Once the Ministry of Temporal Affairs takes me in… they’ll at least treat my injuries, right?
Since things had turned out this way, I planned to let the Ministry temporarily provide food, shelter, and medical care while I learned more about my current situation.
Looking around, I spotted Mo Hae-in waking up some distance away.
Dressed in her Ministry uniform, she stood out noticeably among the ordinary civilians.
Limping slightly, I started walking toward her.
Then—
“Don’t move.”
A cold sensation touched my neck.
Shifting my eyes sideways, I saw the blade resting against my throat.
It was a military fixed-blade knife.
“Ah, Park Seong-gyeon.”
I’d completely forgotten about that bastard.
I couldn’t help letting out a short, dry laugh.
“You’re laughing? For fuck’s sake, Goyo. You think this is funny?”
“Should I be crying instead?”
“…What?”
The moment I answered back casually, Park Seong-gyeon froze in surprise.
I looked down at him.
It seemed he still thought I was the same obedient, harmless college student.
“Park Seong-gyeon!”
Just then, Mo Hae-in, who had finally regained her senses, aimed her gun at him and warned,
“I’m giving you one last chance. Step away.”
But the muzzle of her gun trembled ever so slightly.
She had been the one carrying the offensive during the boss fight in Happy Smile Factory.
She was in such terrible shape that she ought to have been taken away in an ambulance immediately.
Unlike her, Park Seong-gyeon looked perfectly fine.
While Hae-in and I had been running ourselves ragged, he’d simply hidden away and waited for us to clear the trial.
Naturally, he was still fresh.
“Captain Mo Hae-in!”
Knowing that full well, Park Seong-gyeon sneered openly.
“I’m giving you a chance too. Hand over the Black Moon Blade.”
“Aren’t you afraid of the Trial Response Agency?”
“Nope. Not at all.”
“How much are they paying you? If it’s money you want, I’ll give you—”
“Hah… Mo Hae-in, Mo Hae-in.”
“…”
“Are you deaf? I said hand over the Black Moon Blade!”
The edge of his blade slowly traced across my throat.
A thin red line appeared.
And while Mo Hae-in and Park Seong-gyeon argued…
I was busy reading the endless system windows appearing before my eyes.
You know that ‘Park Seong-gyeon (Sample)’ has no intention of letting his hostage live.
You are angered by his insolent behaviour.
You consider how to discipline the dog that dares bite without recognising its master.
A suitable method comes to mind!
You suddenly want to try ‘Execution.’
The messages kept appearing one after another.
What exactly was this “Execution” that the system was so desperate for me to use?
Judging from the name, it doesn’t sound like anything good…
But at this rate, he’d take the Black Moon Blade, and I’d bleed to death.
Blood was still pouring from the wound in my thigh.
“Execute Park Seong-gyeon.”
You are about to execute ‘Park Seong-gyeon (Sample).’ This decision cannot be reversed and will permanently alter Akasha.
Execute ‘Park Seong-gyeon (Sample)’?
- Yes.
- Execute him.
- Dooo it!
Even with my vision fading, I couldn’t help laughing at the ridiculous options.
“Park Seong-gyeon.”
Still facing off against Mo Hae-in, he flinched and looked at me.
Smiling weakly, I said,
“I’m giving you one last chance. Let me go.”
“This bastard’s lost his damn mind…”
For some reason, his voice trembled ever so slightly.
As though…
He was afraid.
I selected “Dooo it!”
Executing ‘Park Seong-gyeon (Sample)’!
A triumphant fanfare rang out.
It was so cheerful it felt like confetti ought to rain from the sky.
Then came the sound of fireworks.
No…
Not fireworks.
It was the sound of Park Seong-gyeon’s head exploding.
The fragments of his shattered head transformed into golden light, sparkling brilliantly as though countless stars had burst into existence.
His headless body followed, crumbling into the same golden radiance.
Beyond the glittering particles, I saw Mo Hae-in.
She stood frozen, gun still pointed at me.
She didn’t move until every last speck of light had disappeared.
She simply stared at me.
Without lowering her weapon.
This is bad.
I’d thought Park Seong-gyeon might die.
I hadn’t expected him to go out with such absurd spectacle.
And this wasn’t even inside a Trial.
Something this bizarre had happened in the real world.
This looks incredibly suspicious…
Cold sweat trickled down my back, but the system remained as carefree as ever.
You currently have ‘0’ registered characters.
You would like to register ‘Mo Hae-in’ as a new character.
Ignoring the floating message, I cautiously opened my mouth.
“Um… Captain?”
The moment I called out to her—
“Captain Mo! What the hell are you doing? Did the Trial beat the shit out of you?”
I turned around.
The air split open, and a man wearing the Trial Response Agency uniform casually stepped out.
He was tall, with a lean, muscular build.
His dyed crimson hair fluttered messily in the breeze.
Landing heavily in military boots, he stood with one leg cocked and flashed a crooked grin.
“So this is where you’ve been crawling around, Captain Mo.”
The playful smile vanished from his face.
His hardened gaze swept across the abandoned factory.
Hundreds of unconscious people lay scattered everywhere.
He instantly understood what that meant.
In a low, grave voice, he asked,
“Hae-in.”
“…”
“Was it the True Ending?”
Though I didn’t actually see it, Mo Hae-in must have nodded behind me.
The man stood there speechless for a long moment.
I knew exactly who he was.
Captain Gwak Han-muk.
Leader of Field Team 3 of the Trial Response Agency.
Along with Mo Hae-in, he was recognised as one of the Agency’s strongest operatives.
Captain Gwak really is tall.
I wasn’t exactly short myself, but he still towered over me.
As I watched him with curiosity, he finally noticed me.
The moment he saw the extent of my injuries, his eyes sharpened.
He seemed to realise immediately that I’d played a major role in clearing the Trial.
Just then, Mo Hae-in muttered quietly,
“Never thought there’d come a day when I’d actually be glad to see you, Han-muk.”
I started to turn around—
Then froze.
She suddenly wrapped both arms around my waist from behind.
It felt a little excessive to call it a celebratory hug for surviving Happy Smile Factory…
“Han-muk.”
Uh-oh.
“Restrain him.”
The instant her command fell, a string of long prayer beads shot through the air with a sharp rattling sound.
Before I could even blink, Gwak Han-muk’s beads had wrapped tightly around me.
He skilfully avoided Mo Hae-in and bound only me.
As if that wasn’t enough, he slapped another pair of handcuffs onto my wrists.
Now looking like a notorious criminal, I stared blankly at Mo Hae-in.
“Mr. Han Goyo.”
Her voice was cold.
“You are under emergency arrest on suspicion of being a national-level calamity.”
She continued without pause.
“You do not have the right to remain silent.”
“You do not have the right to legal counsel.”
“From this point forward, everything you say or do may be used against you in court.”
It was the Trial Response Agency’s version of the Miranda warning.
Never in my life had I imagined I’d be hearing those words.
Then she delivered the final order.
“Knock him out.”
Light burst from the prayer beads.
And everything went black.
