Item Farming

The day has passed. It's only one day, but it's also a precious one. Since it was early in the morning for the children to wake up, I materialized and walked around the school by myself.

Then, I met eyes with a eight-feet tall ghost who was staring at me from the school wall.

[Po. Po. Po. Po. Po.]1

"Get lost."

[Po. Po. Po.]

The ghost indifferently turned it eyes and went on its way. It seems to know that there is a barrier. I take a good look around once again. It should be around here... Found it!

There are special itens in this game.

[The Luckiest Failure], an item from [Suicidal Wannabe]. It took the shape of a broken rope.

And the [Rabbit's Paw] that I just found. It is an item obtained from the monster that Ha-rim and the children defeated.

Lastly, [Four Leaf Clover] found in the flower bed.

When you combine these three, something interesting happens.

I put each material in one place. Then, an [Artifact] is created with a bright light. A necklace with a green gem embedded in a piece of wood in the shape of a rabbit's foot. This is the [Shining Will], an essential artifact.

The abilities are [Luck] and [Survival]. Thanks to the three ingredients, there are two skills! I picked it up. The minimum preparations have been completed. Now it's time to go back to the children. 

Just in time for the children to wake up, I moved to the mirror in the classroom where they were. As soon as the children woke up, they who exchanged glances with my red eyes were startled, but I can't help it because it's good to go early in the morning in many ways. Where are we going? Outside.

I gave the children a little time and told them about it.

"So you're saying we have to exterminate the monster outside of school?"

"Something wrong~?"

You're calm enough to ask why you have to do that. You may be wondering why you need to go out to a place where there are terrifying monsters. I erased my smile and spoke seriously.

"This world is not a comfortable place where you can survive by hiding behind a barrier. You can't survive unless you risk your life."

"..."

It's cruel, but true.

It's difficult for me to cover everything because I have the limitations of being inside a mirror. No matter how much I know the clear condition, if the children I need to take to the ending can't protect themselves, they will die in the blink of an eye. In other words, The kids shouldn't be only the target for protection.

I know. That's irresponsible. But I need their cooperation as allies, not as objects of protection. What I'm going to do in the future will be difficult on my own. Even if I absorb the smokes, I don't know how well it will work for the bosses we'll meet in the future.

If they don't take the risk, they will have no choice but to watch helplessly.

The [Bad Ending] that I have seen countless times.

"Choose, survive and take the risk to return home. Or live the rest of your life here and die."

Only the sound of swallowing saliva is heard in the silence.

'I thought I was finally safe, but I have be exposed to danger again?'

That's what you're thinking.

It's not obvious, but I can see traces of children's tears.

Those little marks that they hid in order not to make each other anxious.

It shakes my heart.

I'm begging you. Don't lose to this idiot game world that drives children to their deaths.

You guys have to struggle and stay alive. Both for you and for me.

I calmly waited for their answers.

"Ella. Will you help us survive and return home?"

Ha-rim, who barely opened her mouth, spoke. I answered.

"...Because I promised."

"In that case, I'll do it!"

Is this a child's unique innocence or recklessness? She clenched her fists and said so. But either way it won't matter. Because that answer was enough for me already. Ha-rim turns to the members who are still agitated and spoke.

"Hey guys. Although we accidentally fell into a strange world, what we do hasn't changed much. Experience a scary place and return safely! Ella is helping us get back. So we must not hesitate!"

The chatter subsides. Ha-rim, how the hell do you think like this? This hope and determination of this little kid amazes me then and now. Where does it comes from?

I don't know if she's like this because she's a playable character or she was chosen as the protagonist for being like this.

Fear is contagious. The funny thing is, hope is contagious too. I might have witnessed a weak ray of light penetrating the dark future that is about to come.

"That's right! Get used to scary places!"

"I don't want to sound weak."

"I think I'll be fine if I'm with everyone."

Kyeong-min, Suho, and Eun-jeong say as if they were determined.

"Good! Mystery Investigation Club, fighting!"2

The other children also decided to follow the president's will. And then the children strengthens their will and comfort each other.

I've never met kids like you outside of the game, but if I were younger, I think I would have been anxious wanting to be friends.

"It's decided. Ha-rim. Take this."

I smiled innocently and handed Ha-rim the [Shining Will] I had made earlier. After accepting the artifact, she asked me.

"Can I ask what this is?"

"It's an artifact called [Shining Will]. It gives you the strength to survive. Think of it as a minimum safety device."

Ha-rim wore it around her neck. She didn't seem to feel uncomfortable about wearing it.

Like everyone who were determined. I should do my best too.

So I explained the operation to the children.

...

I took the children who are determined and got out of school. There's a sight that is the same as the original world. However, the only difference is the desolation of not being able to hear a single sound of a car passing by.

First of all, the monster to be hunted is the [Turbo Granny]. This is a ghost that originated in Japan and has the characteristics of a very quick old woman. If you're asking if that's the only thing, yes. No big deal.3

The problem is that there are other monsters living in the tunnel where [Turbo Granny] haunts. It is said that a tunnel is a passageway that is open at both the front and back, but paradoxically, if the length of the tunnel is long, it creates as much fear as an enclosed space.

The producers probably knew that, and placed 2-3 monsters in each tunnel. There are only two of them in this one, so if I help them by the side, they won't be in any particular danger.

"Suho, isn't it heavy? Should I help?"

"Not at all. It's lighter than I thought?"

I am being carried in a mirror by the children. The full-length mirror was too heavy, so it's a medium-sized one. It's inconvenient, but there's no problem with materializing from it.

"Wait."

I stopped the kids for a moment. It was because I felt an ominous energy at the corner of the street. The monsters you might encounter here are... Oh, that's it.

As soon as I saw the monster, I cut it in the mirror. I saw it before it turned into smoke, and it was a frog the size of a child.

This guy is a mass-produced junk mob monster called [The Gross You] that frequently appears.

When attacked, it casts a curse that temporarily transforms the body. It looks like a frog, but it doesn't croak, and it isn't very threatening.

"Oh, am I lucky to get it first try?"

An item left behind by the monster that has turned to smoke and been absorbed. It is a randomly dropped item. It looks like a round frog egg. If you throw this at an opponent, the body will not change, but instead you will switch positions.

Although it's a monster that appears all the time, it's a blessing in its own way when it drops an item.

"It's disgusting..."

Eun-jeong said. Girls usually hate frogs. However, Ha-rim approached and picked up the tadpole egg. She doesn't seem to like it, but if she thinks it's necessary, she doesn't hesitate. Ha-rim seems to be the action type. I let her keep the frog egg.

"Now go forward. Just look ahead, don't look up the wall."

The children takes a step back at my words. Surprisingly, there was no one who did not listen to me. The eight-legged ghost that was watching over us gave up and moved to another place.

We saw various monsters on our way to the tunnel, but we didn't bother attacking them, unless they were as weak as the frog monsters. The theme of this game is survival, not combat.

If you openly fight, you may be lynched by monsters even during the daytime.

As we moved like that, we arrived at the entrance of the tunnel before I knew it. Just looking at it, an ominous energy overflows. When the children got scared, Ha-rim comforts them, telling them to cheer up. No matter how you look at it, it's not like an elementary school student's mental strength.

"Now... Are we going in?"

I shook my head at Ha-rim's words. Then I pointed to the ground right next to the tunnel entrance.

"There's a shovel over there, so dig here."

There was a box with talismans attached to the place dug with the shovel. Oh, I can take the talisman. In the game, I could only press [Do you want to open it?] followed by [Yes].

Anyway, these talismans should be recycled. After taking it, I instructed them to open the box. All I see is white powder. Don't get me wrong, it's not something that makes you feel good when you eat it.

It's an item called [Purifying Salt]. Even if it's against a strong monster, it will be of great help if you sprinkle it on your body.

"Okay, everyone spray this all over your body."

They sprinkled salt on each other after my instructions. Then Eun-jeong smiled brightly and said.

"It feels good somehow."

...Salt, right? Anyway, now go through the tunnel. The front and back are open, but there is darkness.

It was daytime when we entered, so the inside of the tunnel was bright. However, the more I went in, the more abnormal darkness ate away the light, and finally, we could only see the front.

I instructed the children.

"Now everyone shouts [Grandma, we want to run together!]"

Then the children shouted together.

"[Grandma, we want to run together!]"

A cold aura pervades. When the children shiver from the sudden chill, Kyeong-min realizes that there is someone beside him. is it Suho?

However, it was small and had skinny arms. Kyeong-min was surprised and took a step back. The children notices its presence.

An old woman with a face that looked like she was going to die was looking at them.

[If... You're slower... Than me... What can you... Give...]

I answered the question.

"Take my leg."

When I calmly said that, the children's eyes were filled with astonishment. Ah. didn't I explain? I'm fine. Because I'm a monster, it can be recovered somehow with supernatural powers... Maybe?

[Turbo Granny] giggled unpleasantly. Then, she stood on a line that suddenly appeared on the floor

"It will start once you cross that line. Everyone remembers the plan, right?"

The children nodded. The plan is like this. [Turbo Granny] usually just passes the player at high speed.

However, if asked to compete, it runs at a speed similar to that of the player.

Up until this point, you should be able to win by simply running. However, there is another monster in this tunnel, and that is [Infernal Hands].4

The black hands that exist in the tunnel. The moment the player starts the race, they try to grab the player and drag him to hell.

'That's why I used this salt.'

Since the salt is sprinkled on the body, there will be no dragging to hell, and it will only be a hindrance during the race.

Therefore, the content of this plan is to sprinkle salt on each other to shake off the obstacles of the monster and win the race. Isn't it really simple?

"Suho, instead of having salt, move the mirror to reflect the monsters."

Because I'm going to cut it.

Suho, the only child who could lift me while running among the children, nodded in reply. The kids stood on the line with a nervous expression. They had a hand mirror in their hands when the countdown started. 

"We'll start at one. Three... Two..."

"One."

The children ran. The lead is a girl, it is Ha-rim! She is subtly ahead of [Turbo Granny]. But at the same time, an infernal hand aimed at her ankle.

Kyeong-min, who has good eyesight, succeeds in stopping it by accurately sprinkling salt even in the dark. Suho, who is the second fastest after Ha-rim, focused on supporting her and reflected the monsters that Kyeong-min missed in the mirror where I was.

Slash! Slash!

The hands of hell are severed and scattered. Come to think of it, I can't see Eun-jeong. Where are you?

Eun-jeong is...

"Hehehe..."

She forgot to run because she was being dragged by the hands, and was sprinkling salt all over the place. If you listen carefully, it seems that she is shouting "Be careful"...

Hmm. Originally, the [Infernal Hands] target those who fall behind first. Thanks to it, the burden on the children who were running has been reduced.

Even in the face of obstacles, Ha-rim easily outpaces [Turbo Granny]. At this pace, you can easily win...

-Jingle.

A bell rang.

It was clear and pure, enough for spirits to flock to it.

At the entrance we entered, a woman with the lower body of a spider and dressed as a servant was waving a small bell.

-Jingle.

why is it here.

[Spider Attendant].

She's dangerous.