LRAB Chapter 121
Chapter 121
【# Apocalyptic Creature Management Record 045
Entity Name: ■■■
Management Level: Yellow Sulfur (Level 3)
Friendliness: Friendly
■■■ observed Test Subject T and developed an attachment to them.Wishing to form a deeper social connection with Test Subject T, ■■■ disguised itself as Test Subject T’s close friend, Test Subject Q, and approached.While masquerading as Test Subject Q, ■■■ continuously manipulated Test Subject T to ensure they never left the lab.**
As they ventured further into the party room, Son Nalim realized they weren’t alone.
“Haa... haa... Rui-unnie, you smell so good...”
A girl was sniffing the nape of Rui’s neck, clinging tightly to her.
This was a virtual reality world—just data avatars in VR. There was no way scent simulation was possible here. Yet, the girl calling Rui “unnie” kept sniffing audibly.
“...Rui?”
“...Hello.”
Rui, her eyes hollow and distant, looked over at them.
There were four others already present in the room.
In other words, all the collaboration participants had gathered in this party room.
Except for Rui, the other three had regressed.
Anna, in Mental Degradation Level 5, had her nose buried in Rui’s neck.
“How did this happen to you...?”
“...I don’t know either.”
Well, Rui had watched Anna slowly regress into her current state, but it wasn’t something she wanted to process or understand.
“It’s just... I’m so nervous I can’t breathe...”
That was the first thing Anna had said to Rui.
Anna had always whined about wanting to collaborate with Rui, but when the moment finally came, this was the result.
Like an inexperienced, awkward youth encountering their ultimate crush, Anna had no idea how to interact with her favorite VTuber.
Terrified she’d die from happiness, Anna seemingly gave up her humanity to protect herself—regressing entirely into a childlike state.
That brought them to the present.
‘Mental Degradation Level 5 means Anna’s avatar must be entirely AI-controlled now.’
In Shina’s case, the AI occasionally took over. But for Anna, it seemed the AI had completely seized control.
So the childlike Anna rubbing her face against Rui’s neck wasn’t really Anna at all—it was the AI.
It had to be.
That explanation was the only thing that made sense.
“So, how did everyone end up gathering here?”
“I started at the same point as Anna and met the other two on the way.”
“No, I mean... why is everyone still here?”
“Oh, that. I’ll explain.”
Rui pointed upward with her finger.
Now that she mentioned it, the party room had an absurdly high ceiling.
It had to be at least the height of a 4th or 5th floor of a building, maybe more. You’d have to crane your neck all the way back to see the top.
And up there, a wide-open passage was visible.
“Wait, are we supposed to go up there?”
“I’ve searched everywhere here, and that’s the only way out.”
“But how are we supposed to get up there?”@@@@
Son Nalim scanned the surroundings. There were no stairs, elevators, or even a rope.
“Not that there’s no way.”
Rui gestured toward some chairs.
Amid the scattered decorations, five chairs stood upright. Upon closer inspection, they were bolted firmly to the floor.
Nalim sat down in one of the chairs curiously, and Rui followed suit.
“Try sitting down,” Rui instructed.
Everyone took a seat, filling the remaining spots.
Each of the five chairs had a pressure-sensitive switch.When all five chairs were occupied, the ladder descended.If anyone left their chair, the ladder retracted.
In this game, doors acted as boundaries between spaces. Passing through often led to entirely different areas. If they went through this one, they likely couldn’t return to the party room.
“There’s no rope or anything here. Should we head back down?”
“Do we really need to?” Laura asked.
“What?”
Laura’s words made Nalim blink.
“If we leave now, we’ll gain an advantage in the competition, won’t we?”
“Wait, are you saying we should abandon them?” Nalim’s voice rose.
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
Laura smirked, crossing her arms.
“Rui’s a strong competitor. She managed to get here with someone as degraded as Anna. Eliminating her now would be to our advantage.”
“But that’s... so cruel! We came here saying we’d help them...!”
“Son Nalim, you’re misunderstanding something,” Laura said, shrugging.
“This is a free-for-all.”
She stepped closer to Nalim, their faces nearly touching.
‘Her eyes are so pretty...’
Nalim couldn’t help but think so.
“In a free-for-all, you can’t cooperate forever. This is the perfect opportunity.”
As Laura leaned in, her elbow brushed against Nalim’s chest.
“I refuse,” Nalim said firmly.
She hated leaving things unresolved or compromising her values.
Even if Laura’s logic was sound, this was unfair and cowardly. It wasn’t competition—it was exploitation.
“Suit yourself,” Laura said dismissively.
She turned to Sora, taking her hand.
“If we meet again, we’ll see.”
With that, Laura and Sora disappeared into the hallway.
Nalim stood frozen, only regaining her breath after they vanished.
“...I thought my heart would explode.”
The exit led to a school.
A long, seemingly endless hallway stretched before them.
Laura walked confidently, still holding Sora’s hand.
“Looks like it’s just the two of us now.”
Laura’s voice carried a playful tone.
“This works out better. Fewer people mean smoother operations.”
“You’re not Laura.”
Smack!
Sora slapped the hand holding hers.
No, not Laura’s hand.
The hand of whatever had taken Laura’s form.
“Who are you? Where’s Laura?”