"Looks like that house over there."
Under the shining sun just as morning broke, the spot Do-hyun pointed to held a house exuding a pastoral charm.
It was Choi Seong-min's home—the first victim of the Shop.
"Okay, let's go."
Ding-dong—
"Who is it?"
The voice didn't come through clearly, muffled by the door, but it carried the unsteady tremor of someone well over seventy.
Sure enough, a kindly-faced elderly woman emerged when the door swung open.
Do-hyun spoke in his characteristic even tone.
"We're from the Tale Management Bureau. Is this by chance Choi Seong-min's residence?"
"Ah, I'm Seong-min's mother. But what brings you here?"
"We've come to see you for some follow-up investigation on the tale you got caught up in yesterday."
"Eui? Ah, ah. Come to think of it, the commotion last night must've been on account of that."
"Sorry, but could you call Choi Seong-min for us?"
"Ah, they just left a bit ago—went out to eat with the granddaughter and daughter-in-law."
Do-hyun's face twisted in bewilderment, and Se-jin, who had been listening quietly from behind, cut in.
"Pardon? Right after what happened yesterday?"
Ordinary civilians ensnared by tales often holed up at home for a full month, crippled by trauma.
To Se-jin, Choi Seong-min's behavior was nothing short of suspicious.
"Oh dear, yesterday was the little one's birthday, you see. That shop business or whatever ruined the party, didn't it? So they're taking her out to cheer her up a bit."
"Ah."
Not entirely unreasonable, then.
Parents would tear out their own hearts for their kids, after all.
That said, it didn't change the strong likelihood that Choi Seong-min had stashed away a Shop product.
"If you're in a rush, come on in and wait? Ain't much I can offer, but the barley tea's brewed. They'll be back in no more than two hours, probably."
"No, we're good. We'll swing by again around evening."
With that, Se-jin gave Do-hyun's palm a quick poke.
One of their prearranged signals.
"Alrighty."
As the conversation wrapped and the door began to close...
"Grandma!"
The voices of about a dozen children rang out.
"Oh oh! My little ones, you made it! Hold on just a sec!"
The grandmother beamed as if they were her own flesh and blood, then hurried back inside.
Se-jin stared blankly into the void for a moment at the abrupt turn of events, then shifted his gaze to the kids.
None looked a day over ten.
Clatter went the door as she reemerged, a massive bag of snacks clutched in one hand.
"Don't squabble—share nice now."
"Yes! Thank you!"
The children bowed deeply from the waist, then dashed off excitedly to who-knows-where.
The grandmother watched them fondly until she noticed the eyes on her.
"Just the neighborhood kids. Love how they grin like they've won the world over a single snack—give 'em treats like this plenty often."
"You must really like children."
"Of course, missy. You'll get it when you have your own and meet the grandbabies someday."
A chill wind swept through.
"Ah. We'll head out, then."
"Eui, take care now."
As Se-jin and Do-hyun walked toward the car, the grandmother murmured softly to herself.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Eyeballs sprouted from amid the chunks of flesh that could no longer be called a doctor's.
Crunch—
A horrific grinding, like meat mashing against meat, and every eyeball snapped open at once.
"..." "..." "..."
In silence deep as an abyss, only those godforsaken eyeballs stared at me.
Gawking, like I was some sideshow.
If they'd attacked first, it'd be easier to size them up.
But striking preemptively? Bad call.
Against an unidentified tale, first move's the absolute worst play.
And yeah, I'd learned that the hard way on my first run.
"Damn."
I waited for it to make a move.
Unpleasant as hell.
Still, as a vet with my hours logged, I could handle most curveballs.
Didn't take long for my patience to pay off—every eyeball began quivering in sync.
"Huh?"
The eyeballs dropped straight to the floor.
Fist-sized holes pockmarked the walls.
And from those holes, green liquid began oozing out.
"Fuck, that's dream solvent!"
Not the Bureau, and it's mass-producing this shit?
The dream solvent poured endlessly.
It locked around my ankles, swelling steadily—five minutes in, it was already up to my waist.
The wall flesh operated on some alien physics; no matter how I lashed it with tentacles, not a scratch.
"Goddamn it! If only I had a Tale Management Bureau cutter knife!"
The Bureau's cutter knife.
Nicknamed Rose's Cutter Knife—a consumable basic item that could slice through anything once.
If I'd possessed into the Bureau instead of this crapshoot tale, I'd have been out by now.
The solvent rose with every blink.
As it swelled, eyeballs bobbed up alongside it.
Tricking me into thinking they were staring.
Twenty blinks or so, and it lapped at my neck; the twenty-first, and I couldn't open my eyes anymore.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇"Kyahaha! Kyah—"
A child's laughter echoed from somewhere.
I floated in nothingness, vision blank—like existing in a void sans substance.
Hearing was my only sense.
"Kyah! Hahaha—"
A girl's laugh.
In this void, that sound cut through crystal clear.
Where from?
Left? Right? Up? Down?
"Kyahahat!"
Yeah! Right side.
Head that way.
I halt abruptly.
Doubts creeping in if it's the right direction.
"Kyahaha! Kyarr—"
Nope. Wrong.
Should've gone left.
The sound swells gradually.
"Kyahaha! Kyarr—"
"Uncle!"
Ah, there you are.
Got to go!
No, hold up! That laugh's twisted.
Up? Where!
No, down it is.
She's searching for me.
Calling out to me.
That vibrant laughter!
Just a bit more—keep laughing for me!
Uncle, you finally came to find me.
Come all the way, hug me like always!
"No! Cut the crap—I don't know any girl like that!"
The laughter echoed from everywhere in this space.
Luring me from all directions.
Like a goddamn rat trap!
"Gasp, gasp."
The realization hit like snapping from a nightmare.
That girl, this space—never appeared in the game.
"Finally awake, eh? Or... maybe not quite."
A distinctly intellectual voice reverberated.
"Doctor."
"Indeed, that's me."
The doctor's voice had turned fully human.
"I can only offer you my gratitude."
"Uncle, where are you?"
"What?"
"Yes, I've realized it at last—the horrific things I did. How much pain I inflicted on countless children—""Uncle, come find me."
"I can only thank you. Thanks to you, I've crafted a void realm suppressing all senses! A true paradise free of any pain—"
"Uncle!"
"So—"
"Uncle!"
"I'll grant you—"
"Uncle!"
"as reward—"
"Uncle!"
"Something wrong? Can't see your face, but it looks rough."
"Huh?"
"Anyway, no need to fret. I value your contribution—you'll live in this void world too."
"Huh? No, wait."
The voice cut off.
It should have, but dread crashed over me.
"Not enough, perhaps? Very well—your loved ones and friends will share this blessing too."
Only after the girl's voice faded did the doctor's words click into place.
Keep the talk flowing naturally while plotting an exit.
"Bullshit—this ain't no void. I hear sounds. And who's that girl anyway?"
"Haha. Fair points. No clue on the girl, but the first I can address. Now, my final gift upon you—farewell. Thanks."
Clap—!
All sound in the world halted on that cue.
"..."
Literally bereft of all senses.
"..."
Liberation from pain, my ass.
"..."
This was just a mental patient factory.
"..."
A month in this state, and I'd beg for agony instead.
"..."
Wonder who that girl was...
"..."
Not the priority right now.
"..."
Dream escape method.
"..."
Simplest: snap a finger.
"..."
Nothing registers here, so no dice.
"..."
Other options...
"...""Uncle.""..."
Gotcha.
Senses trickled back bit by bit.
Hearing her voice restored my ears.
Wind in my ears willed touch back into my skin.
Dirt gritty underfoot, grass crisp—craving the world's sight and scent reactivated vision and smell.
Before me stretched endless meadows under a clear sky.
Peaceful. Un-tale-like.
"Where the hell... ? Damn, it's deviated from the game big time lately."
Ten thousand hours of playtime felt utterly wasted.
I looked up.
A tiny speck at the horizon's edge.
Touch was back—I could wake now.
But bailing meant learning zilch.
Check it out first.
If shit hits, snap out immediately.
Thick grass blanketing the ground tickled my feet as I walked.
Closer up, I clocked it as a parasol.
"Uncle, over here."
A familiar voice.
The girl looked freshly out of middle school, her face marred by a massive scar that didn't fit.
A tinge of regret shadowed her expression.
"Who the hell are you?"
I gripped one finger, escape-ready.
"I'm... the first one trapped in the doctor's dream, I guess?"
"You—"
"Tea first, before questions. Uncle, you forgot something."
"Forgot what?"
"Taste."
A teacup now in her hand—hadn't been there before.
I took a sip of the tea she offered.
Fancy cup, plain barley tea inside.
"What's your name?"
"Unimportant question. Last time we'll meet anyway. Don't you have bigger curiosities?"
"Yeah... why'd you keep calling me?"
"Mm. Kinda a misunderstanding. Before the dream shifted like this, it hurt like hell? Mind went a bit loopy. Void senses settled it. Separate from that, finding you at the end? Sincere."
She glanced skyward briefly.
"Look at that clear sky. Wasn't this the doctor's true dream all along?"
"What's your deal with the doctor? Hell, what even is he?"
"Question time's over! My turn—my wish. Go kill Doctor Uncle, end this dream."
She pondered a beat.
"Mm, but can't just Q&A dump then one-sided ask. Director's office—encyclopedia behind the bookshelf hides a safe. Password? Nah, none needed. Stuff inside? Helpful."
She eyed my shadow.
"Wake-up time. P.S., ignore my request, snag just the safe's goods and dip? I'll curse you forever."
More I wanted to say, but her face screamed no dice—I snapped my finger in silence.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Eyes opened to reality.
The doctor stood before me in his original form.
Shock etched his face.
"How in the world... ?"
"You wouldn't happen to know a girl with a huge facial scar?"
"What nonsense is that! How did you escape—"
I lashed tentacles before he could finish.
Fury-laced, they pulverized him to nothingness.
"Now no phase three bullshit."
The director's office was slathered in mystery sludge—green and red swirled together from the fresh carnage.
Bureau shows up later, they're in for a shock.
Off to the side, the two students who'd been dream-trapped lay still.
Quiet now—dream definitively shattered.
"Still breathing, right?"
Finger to their noses confirmed faint breaths.
"Okay, alive."
Leaving the students behind, I sought the mentioned safe, tentacled it open, and checked contents.
A gem glowing green.
In-game, the Bureau scooped it—turns out it was here.
Reward matched the grind.
The gem that churns out dream solvent—lets the Bureau mass-produce Pediatrician's Dream gear down the line.
"No other tales for a while, at least."
Dragging my weary body, I dumped the students outside the hospital, then headed to the restroom I'd passed through arriving.
Door swung open to the Shop, stirring unexpected nostalgia today.