Chapter 91
Chapter 91
The lunch break after the bell rang. Nari entered the fifth-floor classroom, which was half-destroyed and covered in musty dust, and quietly took out a convenience store peanut butter sandwich.
Since this was a place undergoing damage recovery, no one came here. Besides, no student would want to eat lunch in a dusty area, so naturally, the space became Nari's exclusive cafeteria during the lunch break.
The moment Nari tore open the peanut butter sandwich wrapper,
[The Lord of Chaos is curious, wondering why you don't eat the school lunch and are eating something strange here.]
"Aack!"
Nari was startled by the black indirect message that suddenly appeared before her eyes. Thud, one of the four small sandwiches fell to the floor and mingled with the dust.
"...Ah, one of them is..."
When Nari showed a disappointed expression, The Lord of Chaos excessively sent an emoticon of two hands clasped in apology. Nari put a small sandwich into her mouth with a helpless expression and said,
"I have to eat alone."
[What's wrong with eating alone? You're eating alone right now. The Lord of Chaos stares at you, saying 'OwO'!]
"I don't want the kids in the cafeteria to see me eating alone. I'd rather not eat at all."
[The Lord of Chaos puts on an expression of not knowing, saying, isn't it free since you get school meal support?]
"Well.... This is how it is. The cafeteria staff also don't like me. About a year ago, Jeong Suho ate with me though."
Now, even he isn't here. He left for the Wargod guild. As Nari was quickly wiping away tears with her sleeve that felt like they'd suddenly burst out, The Lord of Chaos wrote another indirect message.
[The Lord of Chaos spreads out a picnic mat in front of you, saying, I'll eat with you then!]
'A picnic mat?'
Nari looked ahead, but no picnic mat materialized. Soon, realizing that it was a figurative expression meaning he'd talk to her throughout her meal, Nari quickly put the rest of the sandwich into her mouth. The black message came up again, seemingly with a question.
[The Lord of Chaos stares intently, asking what you're eating.]
"Peanut butter sandwiches. They're the cheapest."
[The Lord of Chaos looks at you with pity, saying you're in a growth period and should eat something good for your body.]
"I don't have money. I'm already being frugal."
Since she didn't eat school lunch, she always had to solve the lunch problem alone, and Nari, who didn't have money, always had the cheapest convenience store peanut butter sandwich for lunch.
It was an irrational choice, but she just couldn't stand eating alone in a cafeteria full of happy friends.
[The Lord of Chaos stares at you, asking if you need money.]
"...Why? Are you going to give me money? Well, in novels, the Constellation gives over a billion or two billion won at times like this."
It was a studio apartment she had barely secured after desperately pleading with her father. She had been rejected multiple times for part-time jobs because she was a minor, but the current manager, feeling sorry for her, had kindly offered her an hour or two of work, allowing her to slowly save money.
She knew there was an account set up for her future, but the fact that she couldn't use it freely because she was a minor was cruel.
Since her father was managing it now, she was sure that when she became an adult and checked the remaining balance in the account, it would be empty. Nari, certain of this, sighed. The black indirect message popped up again.
[The Lord of Chaos shrugs his shoulders, saying we're poor Constellations who haven't been fully registered in the system yet.]
"You're useless huh. I guess I won't sign the contract."
[No! The Lord of Chaos hurriedly explains that even other Constellations can't do that because they can't exchange it for Earth currency!]
Smirk, Nari smiled slightly at The Lord of Chaos's words. Having someone to talk to during her usual solitary lunch hour made her feel a little better.
Since she had finished her lunch, Nari dusted off her school uniform skirt and was about to head downstairs when The Lord of Chaos muttered.
[The Lord of Chaos whispers that he can still tell you where to find money.]
"Huh?"
* * *
"Isn't this illegal?"
[The Lord of Chaos stares at you, saying that this is the only place you can earn money, isn't it?]
"B-B-But, still."
[The Lord of Chaos stares at you, saying it's fine because there isn't anyone trapped inside.]
In the middle of the night, Nari followed the dimensional rift opened by The Lord of Chaos and found the entrance to a small humming gate. She swallowed hard. The public service posters stuck everywhere were still vivid in her mind.
'If you see a Gate, report it immediately! Quick reporting prevents casualties.'
And Nari, who vividly remembered the phrase beneath it, 'Failure to report after witnessing it will result in a fine,' shook her head.
"N-No. I need to report this!"
[The Lord of Chaos stares at you, saying then just report it first, go inside, grab only what's valuable, and come out quickly!]
"...Is that okay?"
[The Lord of Chaos nods, saying, of course!]
Nari sighed deeply, pondered for a few moments, closed her eyes tightly, and reported the Gate via text message. Only after receiving a reply that they would dispatch a team soon did Nari feel relieved and grab the black half-scissors.
It was a weapon temporarily gifted by The Lord of Chaos. He said he'd give her the full set once she formally contracted with him.
"This is my first time going inside."
Nari had never been trapped in a Gate, nor had she ever gone in to conquer one.
She thought that even with the worst life, she had a long lifespan. Nari, who knew better than anyone how dangerous Gates were, nervously held the scissor handles tight.
[The Lord of Chaos crosses his arms, saying you're S-rank, so what's the problem now?]
"Who cares if I’m S-rank? I don't even know how to use my skill..."
[The Lord of Chaos looks at you, saying, it's alright, I'll assist you.]
"Y-You have to take me out if I'm in danger. Seriously!"
[The Lord of Chaos gives a thumbs-up, saying, leave it to me!]
Whew, Nari took a deep breath, bounced a couple of times on the spot, and headed inside the Gate. Woong, and energy enveloped her.
She shook her head at the unfamiliar sensation, and then a new world unfolded before her.
[Entering the Tier 6 Field-type Gate :: 'Bunnies Are Normally Like This'!]
"Bunnies are normally... what?"
A green meadow, and a pleasant breeze blew softly. As the smell of grass lingered at the tip of her nose, Nari, feeling much calmer, looked around. Giant clovers were scattered everywhere, and bunnies were huddled around them, munching on the grass.
[The Lord of Chaos advises you to be careful, saying those guys aren't real bunnies.]
"I know. Even I do."
Nari firmly held the scissor and collected the clover with her other hand. She held the clover stem with one hand and cut it cleanly with the half-scissors, and a giant clover came into Nari's hand. Item information immediately popped up.
[Item Information]
Name: Lucky Four-Leaf Clover (E)
Type: Consumable (Single-use), Special Class
Effect: When used, your luck may or may not slightly increase for 6 hours.
Note: No effect if you don't believe in superstitions.
"Can something like this really be sold?"
Nari was astonished that she could even collect a 'scam item' in a different sense and have it sold, so she started collecting clover again with quick snips.
[The Lord of Chaos looks at you, saying, Nari-Nari~ look beside you for a moment.]
"Yes?"
How long had it been? Nari suddenly noticed that a large number of bunnies had gathered around her. Flustered by their rumbling and complaining expressions as they looked at her, Nari became fidgety.
"W-What the. Be good. I'm just going to collect a little bit of clover here."
"Kkuwaaak!!!"
"Aghh!!"
The bunnies seemed angry and were stomping the ground with their forelegs and rumbling. Nari had heard that when rabbits get angry, they really flip tables and become extremely enraged, and seeing it for the first time, she was overwhelmed by their momentum and plopped down backward.
"S-Sorry, I'm sorry, it’s my fault, just a moment, I'm really only taking a tiny bit of your food from here, Mommy, save me!!"
The bunnies collectively started jumping towards Nari. Nari put the four-leaf clovers into her inventory without looking back and started running away.
"W-What kind of bunnies sound like a herd of cows charging!"
The bunnies were showing their teeth and leaping toward her. Even though she was an Awakener, Nari couldn't surpass the physical abilities of the monsters, and she finally stopped at the edge of a cliff and looked back.
[You encounter the Boss Monster :: 'The Normally Enraged Bunny'!]
One bunny, which seemed to be the leader, approached her, stepping with its forelegs with a thump, thump sound. Nari tightly closed her eyes and spoke to The Lord of Chaos.
"Take me out!! You said you'd take me out if I was in danger! Take me out!"
[The Lord of Chaos shakes his head, saying you can only leave the Gate after killing the boss monster in front of you.]
"You fraud!! You quack potion seller!! You're intentionally doing this to kill me, aren't you!! I'm not going to sign a contract after all!!"
As Nari screamed at the completely different words from when she entered, the black indirect message popped up again.
[He urges you on, saying, still, you can kill the boss monster now.]
"Huh?"
The bunny in front of her rumbled and opened its mouth. Even though it was clearly a herbivore, it had the teeth of a carnivore inside.
Since the small amount of red smeared on its front teeth couldn't be chili powder, it was obvious what was going to happen next. Nari, feeling a chilling fear, tightly gripped the half-scissor and said,
"How... How do I use it? Lucid Dreaming is just a lucid dream."
The Trait she obtained immediately upon awakening was a Fragment of the First Dream, Natural Lucid Dreamer.
The Fragment of the First Dream had no effect when she tried to use it, and Natural Lucid Dreamer constantly tormented her by making her have lucid dreams.
How could she attack with such an ability? The Lord of Chaos advised such a Nari.
[The Lord of Chaos whispers to you, saying, show it your nightmare.]
"My nightmare?"
[The Lord of Chaos says, invite the opponent into your dream.]
At those words, Nari stared at the bunny. She figured it was better to die together if she was going to die anyway, and she gripped the scissor handle. Black psychic power swirled around her.
"The dream I dream..."
[Trait :: 'Natural Lucid Dreamer' is activated!]
Glurk, glurk, the black psychic power particles moved. As the black psychic power suddenly covered the entire field, Nari anxiously looked around when The Lord of Chaos provided assistance.
[The Lord of Chaos says, you're about to enter the transitional period, so close your eyes and calm your mind!]
Nari tightly closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Just in time, a message window popped up saying she was entering the transitional period.
[You've entered a stable period. Lucid dreaming is in progress.]
Thump, she heard the sound of something large walking behind her. Nari looked back and gasped.
"My nightmare...?"
Students wearing the same school uniform as her, with faces completely black so their expressions couldn't be confirmed, were holding box cutters or weapons in their hands.
The bunnies in front suddenly flattened their ears. A standoff continued for a while, and soon, the students rushed towards the bunnies.
"Die!"
"Just die already!"
Nari let out a hollow laugh at the scene where the things that always tormented her in her dreams were now helping her in the Gate.
"Kkiiiieeeek!!!"
As the Great King Bunny let out a loud scream and collapsed, an announcement message popped up in front of Nari.
[Tier 6 Field-type Gate :: 'Bunnies Are Just Like This' has been cleared!]
"Haha, ha...."
Nari let out a hollow laugh, still slumped on the ground. The ability to materialize her own nightmares. In front of her, The Lord of Chaos displayed another indirect message.
[I told you, didn't I? You'll now become the world's new nightmare.]
[The Lord of Chaos smiles at you ;), saying don't be discouraged.]