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Unlike the stages I had seen until now, this one was incredibly realistic.

Gentle ripples flowed across the lake, creating a serene atmosphere, and the moon, which I hadn’t seen even once since falling here, was shining brilliantly in the sky.

I glanced over Song Ah Rin’s head.

The violet thread still connected somewhere seemed to maintain its tension.

“Ugh!”

Curiosity getting the better of me, I reached out and touched the thread, causing Song Ah Rin to tremble and scream.

“What just happened? That felt really weird.”

“Nothing much.”

I rubbed my temples as I answered her.

<I'm searching for the moon.>

It was the phrase I heard as soon as I entered here.

I had found the moon, but what should I do next?

Thinking along those lines, I gazed at the moon.

As if to confirm that the voice was not wrong, a translucent window began to rise above the moon.

[Name: Light]

[Age: Created 20 years ago]

[Specialty: Stage Creation]

[Talent: Change]

[Background: The theater manager was as happy to find this light as someone who found illumination. It adds a greater sense of realism to his play. His preparation for the ceremony is progressing steadily.]

[Weakness: As always, if you find the switch and turn it off, or if the light bulb breaks, the light will not be able to fulfill its role.]

Stage creation and change.

Who would think that something that appeared like a beautifully shining moon was light?

The problem was that there was no gun to shoot at it.

I looked at the smartphone marked <Out of Scope>.

[We are on our way, so please be careful!]

<Just wait a bit.>

I recalled the words of the two who were coming.

How could these two say they were coming with such confidence?

“How are you feeling, Song Ah Rin?”

“I’m okay now… but I think you should be more worried about yourself.”

Song Ah Rin scrutinized my face.

Her expression was filled with an unusual concern that wasn’t like her.

“Why? Do I look bad right now?”

“Um. A bit serious.”

She brushed my forehead with her sleeve and opened her mouth.

“Why are you sweating so much… are you in a lot of pain?”

With a face like that, I couldn’t say that my headache had worsened since she got better. I could only nod and respond.

“I think the mental attack is strong.”

“It seems like the attacks that should be coming to me, while you appear as an ally, are all being taken by you.”

Among the Human Resources trio, she was always quick to catch on, but did she really need to be the quickest here?

“…”

“…Isn’t that right?”

“That’s just excessive self-awareness.”

“Those with hypnotic powers are all excessively self-aware. You sure are acting prickly, so it must be true.”

With a sigh, Song Ah Rin kept wiping my forehead with her sleeve.

“You’re going to ruin your clothes.”

“I don’t like these clothes anyway.”

I replied coolly, and she completely ignored my comment and continued to wipe away my sweat.

It was a funny story, but her care made me feel like my headache was getting better.

“See? You said you were okay, but now that I’m taking care of you, you feel a bit better, right?”

She smiled at me and then looked back at the moon.

“Right now, I feel like I’m not human, but if I were to express that feeling, then that would mean there’s something up there, right?”

“Exactly.”

We both looked up at the moon.

“That might be, um, should we say it’s a light? Or the cause of this incident?”

“Then it means we came in here because of that?”

“I don’t think so.”

I recalled the descriptions I saw with my eyes.

Containment objects aren’t only monsters; it’s only natural that there are also containment objects that function like tools.

Light is just like a tool. Just like the butane gas I possess, it can only wield its effectiveness when there’s a user, and the results depend on who that user is.

“It seems like that light has forcibly turned others into actors.”

“So what you’re saying is that the power to turn people into actors lies with this light, but the force that turns them into puppets when they die is from a different source, right?”

“You understood it exactly.”

Indeed, Song Ah Rin was the one who could follow my words best logically.

When it comes to animal instincts, Yu Da On was overwhelming, and in terms of combat sense, Jang Chae Yeon seemed to excel.

“Then, it looks like we have to break that.”

“Right.”

“…How?”

Song Ah Rin looked at me with a blank expression.

Right. That’s the problem.

How?

We don’t possess the ability to fly, and even if we did, it’s uncertain how we could reach that light that’s suspended somewhere we can’t see.

And we even have to cross the lake.

In other words, we need abilities to attack from a distance, to fly, and finally, the ability to cross water.

Even if Jang Chae Yeon and Yu Da On come, this seems like a tough task.

“…Let’s find another way.”

“Another way?”

I recalled the weakness that I had seen earlier.

If we can’t break the light, then we should look for the switch.

“Let’s find the switch.”

“The switch?”

I explained my thoughts about the light to Song Ah Rin, and she nodded with a subtle expression.

“You’re not wrong. But how are we going to find it?”

“…”

“…”

Our gazes met, and she sighed deeply.

“So, you want me to find it, just like I did before.”

“Just having a feeling is enough. If not, well, just hand me some clues to work with.”

“Got it.”

After wiping my forehead one last time with her sleeve, she closed her eyes and began to concentrate.

It’s best not to disturb her during this time.

I wondered if there was something more visible.

I keenly observed my surroundings.

The lake, and the moon, and lastly, the trees.

While leaving Song Ah Rin concentrating, I brushed my hand against a tree.

The texture felt a bit different.

It was a material more akin to a plastic tree set up on a stage than typical wood.

I put my hand in the water.

It wasn’t hot enough to burn, but it was pleasantly warm, as if it perfectly suited a tub.

The lake water is warm?

“…”

With my hand in the water, I got lost in thought.

Warm lake water.

Drinking this seems a bit silly.

I gazed at the lake multiple times with my eyes, but still, nothing caught my sight.

So, is it just warm water?

In the midst of contemplating whether to drink, Song Ah Rin’s eyes suddenly flew open.

“I found it—did you find it too?”

“Huh?”

Her gaze was fixed on the lake.

“A switch? I’m not sure if I should call it that, but I feel like the sun I’m connected to… is somewhere in here.”

“Do you know that too?”

“I don’t know. But I can’t maintain this for long.”

She furrowed her brow.

“I keep feeling like I’m not human.”

“Not feeling human, huh?”

“Yeah, it feels like my values are getting distorted… at this rate, I’ll be hunted down by the Management Agency.”

What on earth does that mean?

“Hunted?”

“…Yes. There’s really no good in knowing this. And let’s keep this a secret.”

Song Ah Rin mumbled her words.

Seeing her speak ominously, I realized that unless absolutely necessary, we shouldn’t proceed with containment objects and methods.

While there’s something to gain, I wouldn’t want Song Ah Rin to be labeled an enemy of the Management Agency because of me and end up dead or worse.

“…Anyway! We’re going in there.”

“Are you sure we really need to go in there?”

“It sounds crazy, but it’s true.”

With a troubled expression, she nodded.

“…Then I should go first.”

There’s no time.

As much as I would like to sever her method, I looked at the thread precariously hanging in the sky.

“Let’s hurry.”

We need to cut this. I have a bad feeling.

*

-Splash! Splash!

I push through the water and move forward.

The fortunate thing was that the water was so warm it felt hot, so I wouldn’t catch a cold, and surprisingly, it wasn’t very deep.

No matter how deep, it only came up to my thighs, and for Song Ah Rin, only to her waist.

The water didn’t get deeper even as we headed toward the center of the lake.

“This area must be it.”

Song Ah Rin muttered while frowning as she scanned the surroundings.

“I don’t know exactly where it is.”

“Then, Song Ah Rin.”

“Huh?”

“I’m going to disconnect, so please suggest yourself to me.”

“All of a sudden?”

“I’m feeling kinda uneasy.”

“Is it because of the hunting talk earlier? What if we can’t find the switch?”

“Besides that, you don’t know much either, right?”

Song Ah Rin looked at me with a pout.

“You don’t have to worry.”

“What if something big happens? Hurry.”

“…Fine.”

As always, she couldn’t win when I spoke firmly.

I pulled the thread hovering above her head.

Song Ah Rin shuddered, and immediately she closed her eyes.

After a moment of silence, she opened her eyes.

“I did it.”

“…You suggested me?”

At my question, Song Ah Rin opened her mouth as if making an excuse.

“But, you’re the one I can suggest the fastest.”

“Me?”

“…Because you’re the most familiar. It’s easy to understand too.”

She mumbled in a voice that was almost a whisper, avoiding my gaze.

“Ah… I see.”

“Don’t get the wrong idea!”

With a huff, she began to look around.

Following suit, as I scanned the area, I suddenly noticed something.

“…Huh?”

Something touched my soaked toes.

At first, I thought it was a rock, but the texture felt different from the stones I’d walked on before.

Bending down, I picked it up.

It was a small switch.

A standard white switch, with no other distinct features.

As I glanced at the switch, a translucent window appeared.

[Name: Switch]

[Age: Created 20 years ago]

[Specialty: Switch]

[Talent: Switch]

[Background: The switch for the light.]

[Weakness: Breaks if the light is destroyed.]

“What the heck, how did you find it like that?”

“Found it well.”

Without saying another word, Song Ah Rin slapped my back.

“…Shall I press it for now?”

She nodded, and immediately pressed the switch.

-Click!

With a cheerful sound, the switch was pressed, and

-Thud!

The lights went out.

“…”

“…”

Pitch-black darkness enveloped us.

“Is this right?”

“I don’t know. Stick close to me.”

As Song Ah Rin grabbed my sleeve, a sound echoed in the darkness.

-Clank!

-Clank!

-Clank!

With splashes, in the pitch-black nothingness, only the translucent window remained visible.

[Name: Karl]

[Age: 22]

[Specialty: Actor]

[Talent: Actor]

[Background: He became a victim of the plot, giving over his body, and finally, he handed over his soul.]

[Weakness: In any spectacular performance, there are always those who manipulate and direct.]

It was a familiar window.

“…”

I clenched my fist.

How do I fight something I cannot see?

-Splash, splash!

As the window approached from the darkness, I narrowed my eyes.

I had no choice but to use it.

[Critical: 1->0]

In the pitch-black darkness, a bright red light shone.

The world slowed down, and as I struck my fist into the red light, I felt a solid impact as if I struck something hard, followed by—

-Thud!

That thing fell into the water.

“What just happened? How did you do that?”

“I can’t do it a second time.”

I grabbed Song Ah Rin’s wrist.

For now, the lights were out.

“Let’s go.”

“Where to?!”

“To find help!”

We are off to search for our fellow fighters.