Chapter 117: The Person Who Doesn't Exist
A new directive materialized in their minds, stark and clear.
[Lay Sadako to rest; bring her remains back to the television.]
"Remains? Television?"
Number Six's brow furrowed in thought. "The method seems logical enough, but where are her remains? Does anyone here know the full story of Sadako?"
He'd heard the name, of course—Sadako was far too famous not to—but he was hazy on the specific details of her legend.
"They're in the well," Yotsuya Miko stated simply. "We have to go down there to get them. They're likely buried under the dirt at the bottom."
At her words, the Blond Youth's face went a sickly shade of green. "Boss, are—are you kidding me? You want us to go down there and dig up her bones? She just glared at me once and I felt my soul trying to leave my body! How are we supposed to do that?"
A grim silence fell over the group. The prospect of voluntarily descending into that well to steal Sadako's remains from right under her nose was no different from prying a tooth from a tiger's mouth. For a fleeting moment, they even wondered if the sticky note had been a trap, planted specifically to get them killed.
"So, who's going down?" Haruto asked again, his tone casual. If the circumstances weren't so peculiar, he would have simply gone himself.
No one answered. The thought of facing that ghost one-on-one, let alone robbing her, was paralyzing.
The Blond Youth physically recoiled, his neck seeming to shrink into his shoulders. His mind raced, desperately trying to formulate an excuse. He knew his place in the hierarchy, but this felt less like a task and more like a suicide mission.
Even Number Six, the stoic bodyguard standing beside Tao Shou, was visibly struggling. His gaze darted between his boss and the dried-up well, a silent battle raging within him.
"Kaguya, you do it," Haruto said suddenly, turning to the lunar princess.
Kaguya pointed a delicate finger at herself, then gestured down at her pristine, elegant dress with an expression that screamed, 'You have got to be joking.'
"I'll do it."
Yotsuya Miko's voice cut through the tension. Seeing the surprised looks from the others, she added firmly, "I trust Brother Haruto."
"Alright. Miko it is, then." Haruto produced a talisman card and offered it to her.
She shook her head, refusing it. "Brother Haruto, you've already given me so many. I have enough."
"This one is different. It's for concealing your presence," he explained. "As long as you don't actively touch Sadako, she won't be able to find you."
After re-securing the rope and giving it a few hard tugs, they slowly began to lower it. Yotsuya Miko took a deep, steadying breath and began her gradual descent into the well.
The air inside was colder and darker than she had imagined, a damp chill that clung to her skin. But with the power of her Yin-Yang Eyes, the oppressive blackness was no obstacle. She quickly located her target. Sadako was hovering at the very bottom, and at her feet, half-buried in the mud and grime, was a small pile of white bones.
Holding her breath, Miko didn't let herself touch the ground. She tugged on the rope, signaling for the others to stop lowering her while she was still a few feet from the bottom.
At this distance, Sadako was less than half a meter away. Miko could see every grim wrinkle and fold in her white burial dress. With practiced speed, she scooped the skeletal remains into a bag she'd brought and then tugged sharply on the rope several times. The team above immediately began to haul her up, pulling her swiftly from the darkness.
"Did you get them?" the Blond Youth asked, his voice tight with impatience.
Yotsuya Miko nodded, opening the bag to reveal the grim, white bones nestled within.
"Then let's get back to the cabin, quickly! We've been out here too long. It'll be trouble if Sadako decides to come out."
"Let's go," Haruto agreed. He cast one last, lingering look toward the bamboo forest before turning and being the first to step back into the Cabin in the Woods. The others followed close behind, eager to be back inside.
Once they were in the house, however, Haruto didn't lead them to the basement. Instead, he ambled over to a chair in the living room and sat down with a relaxed sigh.
"Brother Haruto, is there a problem?" Yotsuya Miko asked, confused by the sudden stop.
"Let's eat something first," he announced. "We'll have more strength to work once we're full and hydrated."
The eyelids of the others twitched. If anyone else had said that, they would have been met with a storm of insults and protests.
"B-Big Shot, how about we finish the task first?" the Blond Youth pleaded, practically on the verge of tears. "We can eat after it's done. Once we're out of here, if we get the chance, this little brother will treat you to a feast!"
Tao Shou also nodded in agreement. "If you want gourmet food, Big Shot, I'll have my people prepare a full Manchu-Han Imperial Feast when I get back. I can even have the Ghost Postman deliver it to you urgently."
"No need," Haruto said, his tone calm and unbothered. "Everyone sit. Have something to eat."
Yotsuya Miko, already accustomed to his eccentricities, silently took a seat. Kaguya had already claimed the spot next to Haruto, crossing her legs elegantly and resting her head on his shoulder.
The others, operating on the principle that if the all-powerful expert was doing this, there had to be a good reason, hesitantly sat down as well.
Haruto reached into his inventory and pulled out a container of curry fish balls, along with a few of his favorite snacks. He then handed a family-sized bag of spicy crawfish-flavored potato chips and a can of Pepsi to Kaguya.
"Here, just what you like."
Kaguya accepted them without a word, tore open the bag, and began eating with a delicate crunch, crunch.
Seeing that both of the true powerhouses had started their meal, the rest of the team could only follow suit, treating it as a much-needed replenishment of their energy.
Once the impromptu meal was finished, Haruto placed his empty cola bottle on the edge of the windowsill, then stood up. "Alright, let's go. Time to take a look outside."
Outside?
Though thoroughly confused, everyone followed Haruto back out of the house. The moment they stepped onto the porch, a collective chill ran down their spines, making their scalps tingle.
It was Lu Bowen.
At some point, he had emerged from the bamboo forest and was now less than halfway to the cabin. The grotesque "rabbits" followed silently behind him, a macabre procession. Realizing he'd been spotted, Lu Bowen broke into a ferocious, predatory grin. He then retreated back into the bamboo forest with an unnatural mix of walking and hopping, leaving a straight, glistening line of bloodstains in his wake.
"What is he trying to do?" the Blond Youth stammered, his voice trembling with terror.
"I'm not sure," Number Six replied in a low, deep voice, his eyes fixed on the bloody trail. "But it's definitely nothing good. I'll deal with the blood. It's likely they use these stains as a path to leave the forest."
As he spoke, he glanced at Haruto for approval. Seeing no objection, he picked up a thick branch and began methodically turning over all the soil stained with blood, burying the trail completely. Only after finishing his work did he rejoin the group.
"Let's go to the basement and complete the task," Haruto finally said.
A wave of relief washed over everyone. If they delayed any longer, they were genuinely afraid their time would run out—either Sadako would crawl out of the well, or the mission would fail on its own.
Haruto brought up the rear. As he passed through the living room, he noticed that the cola bottle he'd left on the windowsill had, at some point, fallen to the floor.
Arriving in the basement, they found the group already gathered around the old television set.
Seeing Haruto descend the stairs, Yotsuya Miko stepped forward. "Brother Haruto, we tried throwing the remains into the TV, but it didn't work. Then we tried to turn it on, but there's no power down here. It won't switch on at all. We probably have to wait for it to turn on by itself."
Haruto didn't respond immediately. He walked slowly through the cluttered basement, his eyes scanning the area as if searching for something. He eventually came to a stop beside a discarded, dust-caked table.
Yotsuya Miko followed him, her expression puzzled, but then she let out a small gasp. "Is this… a word?"
There, on the thick layer of dust covering the tabletop, the word "This" was clearly written, as if someone had deliberately traced it with their finger. Below the word, it looked as though the writer had intended to continue, but had been interrupted.
Hearing about a new discovery, the others crowded around.
After examining it closely, Number Six delivered his judgment. "This was written recently. The handwriting is clear, and there's no dust settled in the grooves. It must have been written after we left the basement the last time."
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