Chapter 2 : My first impression is ruined…

Is there really no one here?

Feeling uneasy, I shook my head from side to side, and then, a single old door in the corner of the room caught my eye.

-Beep.

As I gently pressed my ear against the door and waited for a moment, a strange mechanical sound reached my ears.

What is this sound? It feels like something I’ve heard many times before.

Excuse meee…

Just in case there was someone behind the door, I carefully opened it and peeked inside.

But contrary to my expectations, all I could see was not a person, nor something making an unknown noise, but just a long hallway filled with countless doors.

There were no windows. The hallway consisted solely of identical doors.

There were at least twenty of them.

What is all this? It feels like a hotel.

-Creak…

Shivering like a lost child full of anxiety, I slowly stepped out of the room.

I’m definitely not trembling because I’m scared. It’s just that there’s no one around, so I feel lonely.

People say relationships are important during adolescence.

I’m just acting according to my instincts.

…?

I’m not sure.

Huh? What’s this?

Looking closely, I noticed a small plaque attached next to the door I had just come out of.

Usually, things like this are called nameplates… right?

Anyway, the pure white nameplate had the following words written on it.

[Mercenary Quarters A-08]

[Maru’s Room]

[Knock before entering!]

“Maru’s Room” was fine, but the “Knock before entering!” part was so messily written that it took me a while to read.

It looked like a child had tried hard to write neatly, with eraser marks showing evidence of repeated attempts.

…Did “Maru” write this?

From this nameplate, I was able to gather two important clues.

First, this command center is much bigger than I thought.

The place I thought was the command center was actually my room—no, “Maru’s” room.

Honestly, I’m a little shocked. I thought a mobile game’s command center would be small.

Second, at least two people had lived here or were still living here.

The handwriting on the two nameplates was different, meaning at least two separate people wrote them.

Hmm…

Even when I looked to the left and to the right, all I could see were dozens of doors.

Still, not a single strand of human hair was in sight.

…Could the person who wrote this nameplate with “Maru” still be here?

Well, with so many rooms, there has to be at least one person, right?

Nodding slightly, I started forcefully opening the doors one by one, my steps quick and eager.

There really is no one here.

I should have realized it when I saw that none of the other rooms had nameplates except “Maru’s.”

It seems certain that no one is left in this mercenary quarters, or at least in this command center.

There are traces of someone having lived here, but the important thing—people—are missing.

This is so frustrating. Where did everyone go?

Just as I let out a shallow sigh with a dazed expression, that mechanical sound echoed again from behind a large door at the end of the hallway.

“Oh, is this the exit?”

The door was much larger than the others.

A nameplate on it read “Command Center Lobby.”

And… a very familiar-looking ant was attached to it.

Wait a minute, that ant looks really familiar.

Huh? Could it be…

That ant?

But before I could finish my sentence, my eyes caught a small piece of bread lying near the threshold.

It’s the same ant from my room.

Ant, what are you doing here?

As I asked with curiosity, the ant wiggled its antennae furiously, as if responding to my words.

I was just asking because I recognized it, but… is the ant actually understanding me? Or is it just…

Since it can’t talk, I have no idea what it’s trying to say, but its frantic movements make it seem like it needs help.

Is it because of that piece of bread?

The moment I said that, the ant started spinning in place and wiggling its antennae in an unmistakable manner.

It wasn’t just coincidence—it clearly had meaning behind its movements.

Alright, alright.

Sigh… I decided to just go with it.

If a grown man can turn into a tiny little girl, then what’s the big deal if an ant can understand human speech?

Carefully, I picked up the bread and handed it to the ant.

Of course, I had to be extra careful so I wouldn’t crush it by mistake.

-…!

The ant eagerly grabbed the bread and started nibbling on it with its tiny mandibles.

It must have been really hungry.

Wouldn’t it get indigestion from eating so fast?

Wait… can ants even get indigestion? I have no clue about insects.

Watching the ant munching away made me feel oddly at peace.

It felt like I was feeding a pet.

It was a comforting, healing kind of feeling.

I crouched next to the door and waited for the ant to finish eating.

It didn’t take long. I mean, how much can something that small even eat?

…Now that I think about it, does this ant know where the people went?

“Ant, do you know where everyone is?”

Hearing my question, the ant tilted its head slightly, then disappeared into a gap in the ceiling.

…That must mean “yes,” right? It’s not telling me to climb up there, is it?

Cautiously, I pressed my cheek against the door.

My cheek was squished softly, making a cute sound like dough.

There was no sign of anyone in the room.

It seemed like no one was here either.

Beep.

Huh?

That sound.

The familiar mechanical noise I had been hearing for a while.

It was coming from inside the room.

I immediately opened the door and checked inside.

The command room… was less impressive than I expected.

It had the structure of an ordinary office in the real world.

Books were lined up on the shelves in the corner, and on one side, there were an overwhelming number of photos pinned up.

And on the desk in the center of the room…

Beep. Beep.

That mechanical noise kept coming from the computer.

Now that I think about it, it was familiar.

It was the sound of an old computer operating, like the ones you’d often find in a computer lab.

‘Ugh.

What kind of computer is running by itself in an empty place like this?’

With curiosity, I climbed onto the desk and checked the computer.

Ew, what the heck.

The computer screen was so dirty that I couldn’t even call it decent.

Not physically dirty with dust or grime, but in a different way…

It looked like the main menu of some cheap, mass-produced trash game.

Battle, Shop, Package Deals, Support Requests, Mercenary List, Information Window, Equipment Window, Command Management, etc.

A cluttered mess of useless icons, just like a terrible game’s main menu.

I barely held back my dizziness and moved the mouse.

But for some reason, out of the dozens of programs, only one was functional.

‘Shop.’

Then why did they even include the other icons? Was there some kind of condition to unlock them?

With a small sense of curiosity, I clicked on the ‘Shop’ icon.

Bam bam bababam~!

A classic shopping mall-style jingle played, and the shop’s main screen appeared.

‘Oh…

There were more items for sale than I expected.

Various household furniture, kitchenware, weapons, even food.

And among them, one thing caught my eye…

[Caramel Pudding x1]
[5 Gems]

It was the pudding.

I don’t know why, but the moment I saw the pudding, my mouth started watering.

Pudding.

The soft texture combined with the chewy caramel syrup creates an indescribable happiness.

It must taste amazing. A heavenly flavor.

‘Hehehe…’

Oh no, before I knew it, I had already added three puddings to my cart.

‘It should be fine, right?’

“Wait, no, what am I thinking—

I called myself a tough guy, and now, not even an hour later, I’m falling for pudding’s temptation?

And to make things worse, I was unconsciously drooling!

This is beyond embarrassing.

I should remove the puddings from my cart…

Growl~

…Or maybe not. Instead, I pressed the [Order] button.

Ahem, this is an exception.

Even a tough guy needs to eat properly.

Rumble.

As I nodded to myself in self-justification, suddenly, three puddings dropped from midair.

‘Ew.’

Right onto my head.

The computer may be ancient, but the delivery system is teleportation?

This world truly makes no sense.

‘No wonder it’s a trash game. Geez.’

The pudding tasted just as I imagined.

Sweet and soft—perfection.

It was a predictable taste, but since I was hungry, it felt incredibly delicious.

‘Hehe.’

Oh, I already finished them.

Three puddings weren’t enough.

Should I buy just one more?

One is too little… maybe five, or ten?

Or should I go all out and buy a set?

[Cart]
[Children’s Snack Pudding Set x1]
[80 Gems]

Click.

[Purchase Complete]

Alright, now I can eat pudding to my heart’s content—

Knock knock.

…Huh?

Someone was knocking on the command room door.

Who could it be?

Knock knock.

“Is someone in there? Why aren’t you answering? I’m coming in.”

“W-Wait..!”

Creak.

The door opened.

A tall man appeared.

“…Oh.”

Tall stature, a perfectly well-written character design.

And a name tag on his chest that read [Sector C Commander].

I instinctively knew.

This was the protagonist of the game.

And…

Thud thud thud.

Huh…? What is this? Pudding?

I had completely ruined my first impression.

“…Oh.”