HACKED 54

<Pantheon Survival Rules for Newcomers>

※ Caution: Do not disclose or leak these rules to anyone else.

How does it feel to have obtained a human body? Isn’t it fascinating? Everything was fascinating to me at first, too. The mere fact that I could go where I wanted to go and say what I wanted to say was miraculous. I am used to it now, though.

You are reading this in a secret place, right? There is no one around you, right? If not, fold it up and hide it for now, then open it again when you are alone. Do not let anyone know that you possess this.

I wanted to explain things in an easy-to-understand way if possible…. It is a bit sudden, isn’t it? Sorry. There will be many parts in the following content that you won’t understand. Sorry for that in advance, too. It seems I am starting with apologies.

Even if it is annoying, endure it and read for now. Even if you do not like reading long texts, you must read it all. I have only included the things you absolutely must know to survive here.

Please forgive me for only being able to say these kinds of things. In my heart, I want to tell you everything that happened here from one to ten… but the time given to me is short. The introduction was long. I will start right away.

1. Do not open the door to the Central Command Room. The Central Command Room is the largest room located in the middle of the 10th floor, so it will be easy to recognize. You must never open it. You probably won’t be able to open it anyway since it is locked in a way we cannot solve. Do not even try to open it, and do not be curious about what is inside. It is not our concern.
2. An opportunity may come to see the list of Incarnations in this Pantheon. If you happen to see that list, keep it in mind. There is no Incarnation at the very first spot on the list. I know you will question how a “non-existent” Incarnation can “be” there. However, this is all I can tell you for now. That Incarnation exists yet does not exist; that is correct. Therefore, do not look too closely at his details. Do not try to remember them.
3. In the event that you end up remembering that Incarnation after all… try your best to erase it from your head. Naturally, it won’t be easy. There is a saying that if you hear an instruction not to think about an elephant, the elephant comes to mind automatically even if you had no thoughts before. Still, you must try.

If you saw a being similar to that Incarnation somewhere in the Pantheon, forget it. It is absolutely not him. There is no way it is him. Do not try to look closely, and do not tell others. Just… think that you saw wrong.

1. Always be aware. One and Two are trash that have no value in existing, so dispose of them immediately. Keep in mind that Three can be thrown away at any time if they become useless. Four should be shown leniency unless they commit a great sin. Five must be kept alive and persuaded; if persuasion is impossible, make them obey even by force.
2. If identical-looking Incarnations are witnessed at the same date and time in different locations, it is not an illusion. Those children are two in one, and one in two. Those children can swap with each other as much as they like and can watch you anytime, anywhere. This means the secret diary you wrote in hiding might not be a secret, and the monologues you muttered into empty air might not be monologues.
3. The owner of this Pantheon has never changed once until now. The owner has been here all along, from the beginning until now. Therefore, if someone talks about a “former owner,” ignore them. If they continue to stubbornly insist even after being ignored, ask, “What kind of person was the former owner? What was it like when you met him?”

There is no need to listen to the answer. As soon as you finish speaking, bow your head on the spot, cover your ears, and wait. Whether it be dozens of seconds, dozens of minutes, or several hours. It is fine as long as they have disappeared when you open your eyes.

1. Sometimes you may feel a sense of incongruity from fellow Incarnations. What exactly is a sense of incongruity? It is hard for me to explain, too. Their appearance might be strange somewhere, or you might feel a sense of heterogenity in their words or actions… you will know exactly what I mean once you experience it.

Anyway, if you felt a sense of incongruity from someone, just pretend you didn’t notice. To others, you might look like the “strange” one for doing that. In particular, telling the person in question that you think they are a bit strange is the stupidest thing to do. I hope you have at least that much judgment.

1. If you are organized into the same unit as that Incarnation and assigned to a mission…. In my heart, I want to tell you to avoid it no matter what excuse you make, but unfortunately, we cannot refuse orders. Carry out the mission but try to avoid contact with him as much as possible. Of course, it will be close to impossible. As long as you belong to one unit, you must constantly interact and communicate. I have nothing to say other than that I wish you luck.
2. Do not go to the storage in the lowest basement. There is nothing there. To be precise, it is true that “nothing” is there, but it is not that “no one” is there. You understand the difference, right?
3. If someone tries to give you something to eat or drink, refuse it. There are no food supplies left here. Even if there were, they are not for us. Where on earth did that come from? Is it actually proper food? Meals are not essential for us anyway. A life where one cannot eat or drink would be painful… but it is better than becoming endangered.
4. Do not gather more than three people in one place. Avoid two people as much as possible, too. If it is an unavoidable situation, only have the absolutely necessary conversation and part ways immediately. The more people there are, the more confusing it gets. It means the probability of not immediately recognizing a “strange” Incarnation among the group increases.
5. Walk through paths that are as narrow as possible and have many corners. Do not stay in wide, open places for long. He is always looking for a target.
6. Flags and emblems are hung throughout this Pantheon. You didn’t know? That is entirely possible. Many Incarnations besides you just think of them as plain curtains or tablecloths. Because there are no patterns on them. Yes, it is normal for there to be no patterns. If there is an Incarnation who claims to have seen a pattern, never believe them. Because they too have “become strange.”
7. <The Drum that Sounds on its Own> has been alone all along and is still alone now. That Incarnation has no such thing as a younger sibling. An Incarnation having a family, it doesn’t make sense in the first place, does it? Everything he says is a lie, so listen with one ear and let it out the other.
8. If you meet unnie, tell her “Yeon-i is entering a long sleep now but will always exist in unnie’s arms, so you do not have to be sad.” Thank you. And I am sorry.

You can’t understand any of it, right? None of it makes sense, right? That is understandable. If I were you, I would have wondered what on earth these bizarre rules were.

I apologize once again for the insufficient explanation. But there really is no time. Even if time were overflowing, there are things that cannot be written.

As the period you stay here grows longer, you will naturally come to know. Why I have no choice but to speak like this.

Refer to these rules whenever things that cannot be explained logically happen. However, do not follow them too blindly. Do not think that everything written here is the truth.

Just one more thing. This is a side note…. Perhaps it is because I am an Incarnation of the old era, but even though I know it is a superstition, I am reluctant to use ominous numbers regardless of the cultural sphere. I am more accustomed to vertical writing than horizontal writing. I guess this is what you call a generation gap.

Good job reading it all. Then, hang in there. You must survive. Though I could not.

˙✧˖°🎮 ⋆｡˚

The girl looked straight ahead while biting her nails with a clicking sound. Then she looked down at the crumpled paper of rules in her hand. After that, she looked straight ahead again. Of course, that didn’t mean the scenery before her eyes would change.

Without even realizing her nails, which she had bitten haphazardly, were bleeding, the girl stared at the emblem for a long time. A large, blue-gray emblem that took up an entire wall. The silver pattern engraved in the center was so very vivid.

The pattern was in a simplified form of lines and dots, but it was easy to tell what it symbolized. The long horizontal line likely meant the horizon or the skyline. The object like rays of light half-revealed above it was probably a sunrise. The dawn sky gradually brightening from one corner. The Daybreak announcing the end of the long, dark night.

“I am really screwed.”

It is normal for there to be no patterns. If there is an Incarnation who claims to have seen a pattern, never believe them. Because they too have “become strange.”

“I guess I have finally ‘become strange’ too….”

The girl quietly started to sob.