Krrrrr—!

With the eventual start of the meat grinder, the surroundings began to distort. The office flickered in and out of view, alternating with an entirely different scene. One that was still too unclear for me to fully make out.

But the changes weren't all visual.

The pungent smell of iron soon began to fill my nostrils.

It thickened along with the warmth of the surroundings, clinging to the back of my throat. The hum beneath my feet deepened into a constant, mechanical growl, vibrating through my bones.

When the office blinked away again, it didn't come back.

Steel hooks swayed from the ceiling, surrounding me from all directions.

The floor was slick, reflecting the harsh fluorescent lights in trembling streaks of red. Somewhere nearby, the subtle sound of something being dragged echoed. When I turned to look in that direction, I only managed to catch a glimpse of a fading shadow.

"...This looks like a slaughterhouse."

I got my confirmation shortly after.

[Operation: The Host's Invitation]

Class : Melas

: A remote slaughterhouse resumes activity after a prolonged shutdown, despite no workers being present. Trucks arrive on schedule, gates open on their own, and the animals are processed without human intervention. But recently, business hasn't been very good. Something about the animals... isn't quite right.

"Here it is."

The scenario notification.

Reading the notification, my eyes opened up slightly.

'The class is no longer hidden like it's always been in the past. Is this because this is no longer the trial version? That's interesting... will there be even more changes in the future?'

I carefully pondered the situation while staring at the notification.

'Melas Class, that's in line with what I expected. Doable.'

The appearance of the meat grinder was all I needed to see to know it was related to the system. Knowing the system wouldn't make me do the impossible, I knew it was something that I could clear.

I didn't just blindly accept to enter for the simple reason of hunting an anomaly.

'But looking around this place, it really is quite large.'

The area was vast, chains hanging down in every direction, swaying faintly as if recently disturbed. The smell of blood hung heavy in the air, thick enough to taste, while shadows flickered along the walls and floor. At both ends of the room stood white doors, each hanging loosely open, as though inviting me forward.

Staring at both sides, I didn't rush towards the doors.

Instead, I took out a white mask.

"....."

I stared at it in silence, a mix of emotions rising in my chest. The mask itself was simple, holding no special powers. Yet, it was no doubt my most dangerous item.

"I'll get killed on the spot if I turn myself into the Jester."

That identity...

It was no longer one that I could use.

At least, for now.

At this moment… I needed a completely different identity. And as soon as I put on the mask, a string of different options appeared for me.

But I already knew what I wanted.

There was no need for me to dwell on my option as I scrolled down and selected it straight away.

▷ [Jester]

▷ [Clown]

▷ [Skull]

.

.

.

▶ [Pig]

The transformation was instant.

Once the option was selected, the mask began morph into the selected option. The moment I touched my face, I felt all the unnatural creases running down it, alongside the ears fur.

'It's fitting when considering the place.'

"...Ah, this is bad."

I covered my mouth, trying to pull my lips down, but the more I thought about the situation, the more my lips refused to listen to me.

But it couldn't be helped.

What sort of person would purposely choose to make themselves look like a pig so that an anomaly would come and hunt them?

"Ah, this is bad. This is pretty bad."

I wasn't sure of what was happening, but ever since returning to 'my body', things hadn't been quite right with my mind. I thought that the Emblance Shards would fix me, but even now, there was something fundamentally different compared to before.

"No, that's not quite right..."

Thinking about it carefully, I did return to how I was before. The Emblance Shard did do its job, but perhaps, it did it a little too well.

My mind felt clearer than ever.

And that was most likely the problem.

My mind was too clear.

The inner shackles that once restrained my true instincts had thinned to brittle threads. Becoming the Jester hadn't twisted me into something new; it had peeled me back to what I always was.

With my mind finally clear... parts that I tried to bury deep within me started to slip out.

"He... he."

Clutching my face and forcing my lips shut, the laugh still managed to force its way out of my lips as my shoulders trembled. Biting my lips, I began to head for the door as I reached my right hand out to the side, a familiar weight settling into my palm.

I didn't need to look to know what it was.

As though it were an extension of my body, I clutched the handle tightly as the surroundings started to turn red.

"Haa..."

I let out a long breath, moving past the first door.

"...Where are you?"

The one who haunts me.

*

Clank! Clank!

The chains brushed against one another, their slow clinking echoing as the shadows stretched unnaturally across the white walls of the slaughterhouse. The scent of iron that gripped the surroundings grew suffocating.

Heavy enough to taste.

On either side of the room, one larger than the one from before, carcasses hung in silent rows, their swollen bodies swaying ever so slightly. Thick red liquid slipped from torn flesh and pooled on the floor before creeping toward the drain at the far end.

Pigs. Cows.

There were all sorts of carcasses, and holding onto the knife, I calmly walked across the space.

'I can't feel anything here.'

Taking out the compass, I followed the tip, moving towards where it was guiding me.

The deeper I walked, the colder the surroundings felt.

It grew so dense that a faint mist began to form with every breath I took, blooming in the air before slowly sinking, as though the room itself was exhaling alongside me.

Staring at the mist, I stopped.

"....."

The silence was deafening, and taking in my surroundings, I soon shook my head.

"...At this rate, it'll take too long."

This was the moment I reached for my pocket and retrieved a pair of sunglasses.

'Since it'll take too long for me to find it, I might as well get it to come with me.'

Swooosh!

The changes were immediate. The moment I put on the glasses, the coldness that spread across the surroundings didn't just cling to my body... It seeped into it, crawling under my skin like a thousand worms.

My spine tightened with a sharp, unnatural tingle as the blue tint tried not just to overwhelm the crimson in my vision, but to devour it, swallowing every trace of warmth as the world dimmed into something colder, darker…

"H-haa."

My chest trembled once more as my mind adjusted to the changes, trying its best not get overwhelmed by the sensations.

But above all, I could feel it.

Them.

...The numerous eyes that were staring in my direction.

The carcasses surrounding me started to sway with more momentum, their chains clattering louder as each swing grew sharper. In the distance, the heavy sound of chops echoed through the cold air, matching the beat of my own heart.

Pak! Pak!

Keeping hold of the knife, I looked around.

Waiting.

'It's coming. Something is coming.'

I could feel it.

Pak!

The chopping sound grew louder, my eyes tracking the carcasses as they swayed left and right. Their momentum increased, and as they continued to swing, I noticed the dark liquid dripping from them beginning to pool beneath my feet.

Faster.

Harder.

The carcasses continued to sway, blood striking the white walls before sliding back down, spreading into growing pools that slowly crept across the floor.

Tightening my grip on the knife, I watched the spreading pools of blood merge together, forming larger shapes that soon reached the tips of my shoes. When I looked down at the dark surface, a pig's head stared back up at me.

"....."

For just a brief moment, the surroundings came to a complete standstill.

A deafening silence took over as I silently stared at the reflection.

And then—

"Finally showing yourself?"

Swoooooosh!

The pool of blood stirred, then a blood-red hand shot out, grabbing for my ankle. But it wasn't alone. The surrounding pools rippled, and more hands burst through the surface, reaching from every direction and latching onto my feet.

One, two, three, four…

The numbers kept climbing, each hand gripping tighter, crawling higher up my legs as they tried to pull me down.

Staring at all of this, I raised my hand and slashed down.

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