"You have completed the first quest with ease. The next quest will begin now.
Instructions:
1. Enter a dark room at exactly 3:03 AM.
2. Place a mirror on the floor and light a single candle.
3. Say your own name three times.
4. Ask its name.
5. If it appears, close your eyes.
Reward: Promotion to 'capable'.
Penalty: Loss of sight for 24 hours."
"Yay!!"
Lim Soohyun read the note he had taken from inside the capsule ball in a loud voice. Finishing it, he crumbled the paper and clapped, then picked up the 100 won coin that was also in the capsule ball.
"Damn, I must be filthy rich now, aren't I?"
As if there really was another presence in the house, Lim Soohyun sarcastically spoke out, but he still pocketed the coin as he left to clean the upstairs bedroom and corridor, leaving the other bedrooms untouched, obviously. Having broken his back and made the place somewhat livable, he came out of the shower. There was still time for him to get some groceries.
Locking the house, Lim Soohyun, already familiar with the path, was soon back with a car full of instant white rice, ramen cup noodles, and home meal replacements enough to last him a month. Oh, and a lollipop that was popped in his mouth. As he was parking his car next to the house, he recalled the penalty of the new quest. If he really lost his eyes, he would surely just die of boredom.
Even he couldn't explain how the capsule ball appeared on the bed next to him. He didn't know how, but this thing giving him quests definitely had the power to apply the penalty unless he completed the quest and continued playing this game with this thing. However, with high stakes, it was much more entertaining.
Unloading his car and sorting out the groceries, he decided to check the note again to see if he had everything he needed.
"...?"
Lim Soohyun bent down, glancing under the dining table. Nothing. And on the surface also nothing.
"Where did it go?"
Scratching his head, he looked in different directions, unclear where the note could have gone. Did he need to hold onto it too? He only cared about the coin and carelessly threw the note on the table, thinking it would still be here.
"What the heck, why would you take it back?"
He did remember the contents of the note, but it was better to be sure. Whistling, he ducked under the table once more before giving up on it. He cooked curry and rice for dinner. Or heated it. The same thing if you ask him.
Fixing his phone on the table in a position he could watch, he played the video and ate his cold curry and rice freshly out of the refrigerator. He personally wasn't a fan of hot and steaming food. Even after he was done eating dinner, he kept watching the video as it was getting too interesting when suddenly all the lights in the house went out.
"....."
Shrouded in complete darkness except the light coming from his phone's screen, Lim Soohyun was annoyed more than anything.
"A blackout in this century?"
"Boring."
Turning on his phone's flashlight, he put it face down on the dining table as he got up to put the plate and spoon in the sink.
"I was going to charge my phone too. I'll have to buy battery lights and a power bank if I am going to be living here."
Voicing out his complaints, he washed the dishes and picked his phone to wash up and go straight to sleep. Setting an alarm for 2:45 am, he went to sleep in complete darkness to save his phone's remaining battery. Sometimes he'd totally miss his alarm, so he set two, and if he still didn't wake up then... whatever.
"This is no better than being blind. Anyway, I can't see jack shit right now."
"Hey, is this a trial package? You're just throwing everything at me even though I didn't sign up for it."
Well, he did buy a haunted house. Maybe that was the same thing. Shrugging once, he plopped down on the bed, pulling the blanket over himself.
POP
POP
POP
POP
POP
POP
POP
The sound of bubbles popping echoed in the bedroom. That was Lim Soohyun's alarm ringtone. Which he heard and immediately got out of bed with his eyes fully closed. He stood in place with his phone in hand, still popping bubbles, for a while before laying down on the cold floor again.
"I'm over thirty now. Give me 30 more mins."
Saying that, he fell asleep again for another five minutes and then, jolting awake, he blinked rapidly, quickly inspecting the time. 2:51 am.
"Ha..."
Breathing out, he got back on his feet. He almost missed the event. The light was back on downstairs. It didn't take long for him to put his phone on charging and gather the things required for the quest. The best room to do this should be his bedroom. It only had a single window, so it was the darkest room in the house, probably.
Snatching the charger and his phone, he ran back upstairs and set up his phone to film and charge it at the same time. Starting the video, he pressed the screen onto the wall to avoid it providing any unnecessary light in the room and turned off all the lights. It was already 3:00 am. A few minutes difference shouldn't matter too much.
He placed the tablet-sized mirror on the floor in front of him, sitting in a cross-legged position, and using a lighter, burned the wick of the candle.
"Was there a specific place for the candle?"
Not fully sure, he decided to put the Hocus Pocus candle next to the mirror.
"What now...ah...Lim Soohyun..."
"Lim Soohyun....Lim Soohyun."
Chanting his name three times, he abruptly stopped because he didn't remember what the next step was.
"EPSAI..."
He had done the first three steps, so now it was A and I.
"Ask the name."
Moving to sitting on his knees, he gazed at his own reflection in the mirror. Only his face was visible in the everything else was just pure black.
"What's your name?"
Asking away, he listened attentively for any voices. There was a cold wind in the room trying to whoosh his candle. Not knowing why there was wind in the bedroom, he protected it with his hands. Recalling the last step of the quest.
If it appears, close your eyes.
At that, he heard a loud thud from his side, giving him a jump scare. He felt like if he didn't wrap the candle light in his palms, it would definitely go out, so he closed his eyes in the same spot. The temperature had dropped too low. His feet were getting cold. His hands only warm because of the fire near them.
"Gaaa....Guc...guk..."
Weird throat-scratching sounds came from his side, which seemed to be getting closer and closer.
"Shh...."
The last sound was just below his face, and then he felt his hands getting colder. The warmth from the fire was gone. He examined the candle with his fingers, and it had really gone off from the sudden gust of wind. Lim Soohyun had a feeling he had to keep his eyes closed until 'it' disappeared.
Regulating his breathing, Lim Soohyun was stuck in place. He was a little, just a tiny bit, afraid of moving and accidentally touching whatever 'it' was. Slightly trembling, he started hearing even more intimidating sounds. The sound of someone or something scratching their nails on the wall right in front of him.