Chapter 2: Why is my appearance again?

It has already been half a year since ‘that incident’ occurred, when the sky seemed to split open and the world felt like it was ending.

The world was no longer the same.

Along with phenomena called Urban Legends, bizarre entities began to appear, and countless people died.

However, if asked if the world had completely ended, that wasn’t the case either.

Indeed, the human species’ unique survival instinct and adaptability, honed over long years, were immense.

People were creating a new order even amidst that chaos.

Conversations heard on commutes were now centered on Urban Legends rather than celebrity scandals or office gossip.

“I heard another one appeared last night?”

“Yeah, this time it was the ‘Black Shadow’ Urban Legend. They said you should never look if you see a silhouette outside your window, but a curious person just couldn’t help it…”

Once, the word ‘Urban Legend’ was considered merely a simple urban myth or internet meme, but now, no one took it lightly.

They were real disasters, and people began studying Urban Legends to survive.

As a result, they discovered that Urban Legends followed certain rules.

Although countless lives were lost until these rules were found, if one only followed the discovered rules, they could survive the same Urban Legend.

People shared information with each other, and the government established an agency called the ‘Urban Legend Countermeasures Headquarters’ to systematically analyze Urban Legends.

For example,

[If the ‘Black Shadow’ is seen outside a window, you must never look at it for more than 10 seconds.]

[The ‘Man on the Phone’ makes random calls in the middle of the night, and if you don’t answer before the third ring, you die.]

People now lived by memorizing these rules.

Because if they just followed them, they could survive.

The government and research institutions were analyzing Urban Legends and widely disseminating survival rules,

And with the emergence of cases, albeit few, where people ‘Awakened’ by deciphering Urban Legends themselves and gaining their power, Urban Legends were being regarded as a natural disaster, and something mysterious.

As I was returning home on the subway as usual, I paused my steps briefly at the breaking news flashing across the electronic display.

****

[Breaking News]

[A major catastrophe caused by an unidentified Urban Legend occurred at ○○ Apartment last night. Residents who looked out windows were confirmed to have lost consciousness or gone missing. The government has taken immediate action, urging citizens not to stare at windows—]

[Furthermore, the entity known as ‘Phantom,’ recently sighted—]

“…Haa.”

Now, such news was nothing special.

People listened to the news without a change in expression.

But in a corner of everyone’s heart, there was a fear that could erupt at any moment.

‘Honestly, I liked Urban Legends, but this is too much!’

Those were only good to read about in stories!

Safely tucked under a blanket, it was just ‘Hehehe, scary. But thankfully, it’s not real,’ and that was the end of it!

“I didn’t want to become a character in a story.”

But I can no longer just complain.

The world has changed, and Urban Legends have become reality.

And I must see the end of these Urban Legends.

Only then can I return to my normal life.

The author told me to finish the story.

From this, I can infer that only by ending the story of these damned things that have crossed into reality can I truly return to the normal past.

‘But how do I end it…?’

If someone knew my situation, they’d probably say this:

‘Didn’t you read the novel? And you can decipher them? Then just decipher them all and return to your normal life, right?’

I thought so too!

I thought it would be that easy at first!

For half a year, I heard about countless Urban Legend incidents.

Among them, there were definitely some that appeared in the novel.

The problem was…

New Urban Legends also began to appear in the real world.

This was the problem.

The rule that Urban Legends are created from accumulated unfortunate emotions began to apply here too.

Like the ‘Elevator Mirror Urban Legend’…

Since I don’t even know their rules, approaching them carelessly would be a direct path to death.

That’s why I can’t go around dominating this new reality and am just cooped up.

And honestly, I’m scared!

Experiencing Urban Legends by reading about them in text is completely different from facing them in front of your eyes in 3D, 4D, augmented reality-level ‘true reality’!

“Sigh. What a fate.”

–Ziiiiiing.

A vibration rang out amidst my lamenting.

“Alright, what is it this time?”

An Urban Legend disaster alert, which had been arriving every single day since that incident, had come.

****

[Urban Legend Countermeasures Headquarters Alert]

Today’s sunset is at 18:47. Citizens are advised to refrain from going out as much as possible after sunset and always keep their surroundings well-lit.

Do not wander around unnecessarily at night, and never react if you hear strange noises.

Please always be aware of the following points to safely conclude your day today.

(1) Maximize activity during the day and do not wander around carelessly at night. Urban Legends primarily appear and strengthen at night.

(2) If abnormal phenomena occur, try not to react at all and observe the situation.

(3) Information on all Urban Legends that have occurred so far has been compiled into an attached file; please read and familiarize yourself with it regularly.

(4) Those who have deciphered Urban Legends and gained their power, thereby Awakening, must report to the Headquarters.

(5) If you have witnessed the entity known as ‘Phantom,’ whose existence has recently been confirmed, please inform the Urban Legend Countermeasures Headquarters and nearby guilds.

—Attached File: Collection of Urban Legend Cases (Latest)

****

“Yesterday it was ‘Collection of Urban Legend Cases (Really Really Final Final),’ but it changed again.”

‘New content… confirmation of the domain of Urban Legends, existence of the Underworld… red text appearing… extreme caution required…’

As I continued reading the newly updated content, the time caught my eye.

18:15.

‘Damn it. I have to go home quickly.’

It was now a given that I had to get home quickly before the sun set.

But besides that, I had another big reason.

****

Half a year ago, immediately after ‘that incident’ occurred.

The city was being engulfed by chaotic circumstances.

Innumerable screams and tearing sounds, ominous black energies.

The Urban Legends from the novel were actually appearing, swallowing people whole.

I collapsed onto the street, all strength drained from my body.

I had rushed out because the building shook, but outside was just as dangerous.

It had clearly been a normal day just a few hours ago.

“…This is impossible.”

The Urban Legends and disasters I had read about in the novel were appearing in physical form.

‘Did the novel really become reality…?’

A situation I couldn’t understand or believe.

Screams echoed from afar, bizarre laughter came from somewhere.

And impossible beings wandered the streets.

Then, the air slowly felt like it was turning cold,

–Crash!

With a sudden impact, a streetlamp shattered into pieces.

“…!”

I instinctively flinched.

And I felt something approaching from behind.

‘…?’

Whoosh—

My entire body froze.

In the darkness, ‘it’ was staring at me.

Its form was similar to a human’s, but it had no face.

[My face is gone.]

[Will you lend me yours?]

“…!”

Information resonated in my mind with a bizarre voice.

This rule was definitely for the ‘Faceless Man’ Urban Legend.

The Urban Legend that takes the face of anyone who looks at it.

‘I definitely saw this Urban Legend in the novel.’

No questions asked.

This Urban Legend, which appears without any warning and steals faces, is infamous, but its rule isn’t complicated.

The Faceless Man only moves ‘when the darkness is densest’.

At this moment, the faint streetlamp light remaining on the street was my only defense.

‘I have to stay as close to the streetlamp as possible!’

I tried to move slowly towards the streetlamp, but,

Crack!

The last remaining streetlamp broke, and complete darkness engulfed me.

‘Shit, now I’m going to die…’

Suddenly, my heart pounded loudly, and my body tingled.

A sensation like electricity flowing through me.

My skin grew cold as ice.

A chill permeated through my veins, and my fingertips slowly lost sensation.

‘…What is this…?’

My vision began to change.

My hair turned black as if ink was spreading.

My pupils wavered, and an unfathomable darkness spread.

My skin cooled eerily, shining transparently like ice.

The feeling that my very existence was slowly twisting.

‘What’s happening?’

As the changes slowly subsided, my reflection faintly appeared in a street window.

“…Is that, me?”

Pale skin.

Blackened hair.

A man with jet-black eyes stood there.

It was clearly me.

But at the same time, it felt like a completely different being.

“…”

When I exhaled, a faint black aura rose.

The surrounding energy felt subtly changed.

The Faceless Man was reacting completely differently than before.

Even in this deeply dark situation, it didn’t rush forward but stood still.

It seemed to be staring intently at me.

Its body twitched slightly.

As if observing.

‘…What is it?’

My head was confused by the sudden turn of events.

But even before that, the faceless man began to retreat.

–Whoosh!

Soon, it disappeared into the shadows.

“It’s just leaving?”

Urban Legends are undeniably beings that hunt humans.

But just now, an Urban Legend disappeared, leaving a human behind.

“…What the heck is this?”

It ran away.

That faceless man.

The Urban Legend, which should have been the hunter, simply vanished even with me, its prey, right in front of it.

“…”

As I stared at my hand with a blank expression, a strange black energy emanated from my fingertips.

“…What is this, really?”

My voice was lower than usual.

I rubbed my eyes and looked at my reflection in the window again and again, but no matter how I tried to rationalize it, it definitely didn’t look like a normal human.

“…I should probably go home first.”

Just as I slowly started to move.

Clunk.

The sound of a metal gate rattling from the adjacent alley.

I instinctively turned my head to look in the direction of the sound.

There, a man was clutching the metal gate with trembling hands.

“…”

His face was clearly terrified.

His eyes were filled with fear, and his lips were bluish-white.

“Ugh, ah…”

The man tried to say something but couldn’t even make a proper sound.

I instinctively took a step back to distance myself from him.

Then—

“Mon, monster…!”

The man swallowed a scream, opened the metal gate, and fled in a hurry.

“Calling a person a monster is too harsh.”

Watching the man flee like an arrow, I let out a deep sigh.

“Phew, I’ll think about the rest when I get home.”

Too many things had happened at once to comprehend the situation.

****

As soon as I arrived home, I headed to the bathroom.

The reflection in the mirror was, as expected, too alien to be considered a normal human.

‘…Why did I suddenly turn into this?’

I ran my hand through my disheveled hair and tried to organize my thoughts.

— Urban Legends appeared in reality.

— I also underwent a change.

— Do I change like this when I encounter Urban Legends?

— Or do I become like this when it gets dark?

“Seriously, don’t mess with me.”

A hollow laugh escaped me in disbelief.

I recalled the reaction of the man I encountered in the alley earlier.

He clearly reacted as if he had witnessed something ‘frightening,’ and what he was looking at was ‘me’.

“…”

If it’s true that I turn into this form when the sun sets, then I can absolutely never go out at night.

“It’ll be hard to go buy late-night snacks at the convenience store now.”

I deliberately tried to distract myself with mundane thoughts, but the black energy still enveloped my surroundings.

‘If I meet people at night, there’s a high chance they’ll misunderstand.’

And this misunderstanding was likely not to end simply.

Considering not only people’s reactions but also the Urban Legends’ strange behavior—

“Ah, I really feel like I’m going to throw up.”

This situation must be resolved somehow.

But the problem was that I had no idea how to solve it.

I’d never seen anything like this phenomenon in the novel, so what on earth is it?

‘First, I need to observe my changes more.’

Moving recklessly was dangerous.

Besides, I don’t remember everything about this world.

Although I had consistently read the novel for two years, I hadn’t memorized every detail.

It was highly possible that new Urban Legends had appeared as the novel’s Urban Legends crossed into reality, and the information I knew might be insufficient.

I could end up becoming a victim of an Urban Legend if I rushed into things without thinking.

I sighed and threw myself onto the bed.

I was tired, but sleep didn’t come easily.

Perhaps it was because this was the first night since this change occurred.

“Haa…”

I quietly closed my eyes and tried to sleep.

Hoping that by tomorrow morning, I would return to being ‘normal Yoon Sihyun’.