Why is my Isekai in the Slice of Life anime was become a Horror Story?

Chapter 31: In the Darkness, Are You Truly Alone?

Hoo——

A sound so faint it was almost imperceptible.

Along with it came a chilling breeze brushing against the back of Takahashi Takakai's neck.

At that moment, he felt as though someone was lying on his back—someone pressed tightly against him, leaning close, their steady breathing audible in his ears.

Was this just an illusion?

Or was there truly something perched on his back?

Before his eyes, there was no light left at all.

Takakai had stepped into absolute darkness, where nothing could be seen.

Splash, splash——

The sound of cold water stirred with each of his steps.

The breathing behind him remained persistent, not missing a single beat.

Where am I now?

Unable to see anything, Takakai couldn't help but question himself.

The cold sensation at the back of his neck seemed to grow sharper.

The only sound he could hear was the ceaseless flow of water.

Splash, splash——

Then suddenly, his shin bumped into something.

Something large but seemingly lightweight floated on the water.

It wobbled slightly from his touch, and vaguely, it felt as though fingers had brushed against his leg. But he couldn't be sure if it was real or not.

Takakai paid it no mind and continued moving forward along the wall.

Splash, splash——

He reached out, his hand meeting the damp wall.

His legs continued wading through the cold water that rose to his shins.

How long is this hallway?

How much farther until the end?

It didn't take long for frustration to set in.

Every breath Takakai drew felt like frigid air, so cold it was as though even his throat might freeze.

Splash, splash——

The sound of water rippled in succession.

This time, something seemed to pass by him.

A presence moved slowly, nearly brushing his shoulder, but beyond the sound of footsteps, he could sense no movement. It was as though it wasn't really there.

"..."

Takahashi Takakai remained silent.

He simply continued moving forward.

Reaching out, his hand brushed against the wall.

But this time, his hand touched only air—there was no wall to be found.

Hoo——

Another gust of cold air swept past the back of his neck.

After a brief pause, Takakai reached out again, fumbling around, and this time his hand met the diagonal edge of a hallway.

So, I've reached the corner?

Takakai recalled the layout of the second floor of the house and realized that the first floor had been altered similarly to the second, taking on an unrealistic structure that wasted a considerable amount of space.

Now at the end of the hallway, he needed only to turn the corner to reach the front door and the restroom.

Thinking back, if the house's dimensions hadn't changed much, the hallway on the second floor required only a few steps to traverse. But just now, Takakai estimated that he had been walking for at least a full minute. He wasn't sure if the space here was distorted or if his loss of vision had drastically slowed his pace.

No matter what, he had to keep going.

So far, he had only covered a short distance.

At the very least, he needed to reach the hallway and confirm the state of the first floor. After that, he would head to Room 109—the place repeatedly mentioned in Xu Sheng's cryptic words. A place that was both necessary and forbidden to enter.

Room 109 was closely tied to Sanchez, the person responsible for the deaths of the surviving residents of Shirakawa Apartments. It was also the target of veteran players like Old Guo, who would go to any lengths to reach it.

What exactly will I find there?

Splash, splash——

Takakai continued walking through the impenetrable darkness.

He turned the corner, his mind replaying the house's structure as he carefully moved step by step.

The sound of breathing that had followed him was now gone.

Has it finally given up?

As the rules had suggested, as long as no interaction or communication occurred, the strange phenomena on the first floor seemed unlikely to harm him.

With this thought in mind, Takakai continued toward what he believed was the front door.

Reaching out, he groped ahead.

Soon, his hand touched the doorknob.

It seemed his spatial memory wasn't bad—on his first try, he found the front door's location.

But is the door closed?

What would the hallway beyond look like now?

Gently, Takakai turned the doorknob.

The crisp sound of the lock clicking open reached his ears.

Gradually, he opened the door, erasing the barrier between the room and the hallway outside.

However, he didn't step out immediately.

Instead, he ran his fingers along the door.

His fingertips brushed against patches of rust, sensing strange marks that felt as though something sharp had scraped the surface.

In the silent darkness, he patiently searched.

Finally, Takakai found what he was looking for: the raised plate on the door, the room number affixed to it.

106.

This was Room 106 on the first floor, corresponding to Room 206, where the kitchen floor had collapsed.

If the second-floor map held true, then Room 109 on the first floor would be to the right—directly opposite and the second door down.

Carefully recalling the second-floor layout, Takakai stepped forward, preparing to enter the hallway.

Suddenly, the rope tied around his waist tightened, then slackened, repeating the sequence three times.

It was the signal Shijo Maki had agreed on with him beforehand.

Has it already been half an hour?

Even with the hallway just ahead, Takakai didn't hesitate. He grasped the rope, pulled it taut, then loosened it, repeating the action twice to send his reply.

Without delay, he shut the door to Room 106, turned around, and retraced his steps.

As much as he wanted to immediately head to Room 109 to explore and uncover the truth, this was a team mission. Acting alone would be unwise.

Just as he took a step forward, Takakai bumped into something.

It was a large object, at least 1.75 meters tall, clad in thick clothing, standing motionless in the hallway.

"..."

In the silent corridor, apart from the splashing of water as he moved, no other sounds could be heard.

Takakai took another step, adjusting his path to go around it, only to bump into a second object.

This one was taller, perhaps 1.8 meters, also heavily dressed, and equally still.

"..."

Takakai continued walking.

He quickly bumped into a third figure, then a fourth, and more beyond that.

He began squeezing through the silent figures to make his way forward.

The hallway was lined with motionless silhouettes.

They were cold, soundless, unmoving, and devoid of breath.

From outside the hallway, near the staircase, a noise began to echo.

It was loud and chaotic, like the desperate struggle of many people, gradually spreading downward from the stairs.

The cacophony resembled countless individuals wrestling, shoving violently against one another.

The chaotic sounds slowly enveloped the entire hallway beyond the front door.

Takakai pushed past the strange figures, returning to the living room, where faint light still flickered.

From the direction of the sofa came a palpable sensation of being watched. Something had raised its head, its gaze fixed firmly on him.

Even so, Takakai remained silent.

He didn't turn around, nor did he show any sign of panic. He simply continued toward the kitchen. Upon entering the living room, he promptly closed the door separating it from the hallway, never once glancing back at the corridor. Instead, he fully turned his back to it as he shut the door.

Takakai stepped into the kitchen.

He approached the gaping hole in the floor.

Looking upward, he focused on the faint light above, where Shijo Maki carefully leaned down, peering through.

"I am Takahashi Takakai. I am not a resident of Shirakawa Apartments. I am a player in the Sacrifice Game trapped here, trying to find a way out..."

His voice was steady and deliberate as he repeated the prearranged phrase. This was their method of confirming identity. So far, anything anomalous capable of communication within the apartments had claimed to be a resident of Shirakawa. Ensuring the survivor's perception remained intact was the key to verifying they were still themselves—safe and trustworthy.

"Identity confirmed. The passphrase matches perfectly, no issues," Shijo Maki said, nodding toward Kaguya, who stood nearby but remained out of sight.

"Alright, get ready to pull him up," Kaguya's voice followed shortly after.

Takakai gave a slight nod, standing beneath the hole and waiting for those above to extend their hands to pull him up.

"Ready?" Kaguya's voice called down again.

"Ready," Takakai replied calmly, almost instinctively, without giving it a second thought.

But then, as if realizing something, his eyes shifted from the opening above to the space in front of him.

"Kai-kun?" Shijo Maki's puzzled voice came from above.

Becoming aware of the situation, Takakai took a step back.

In that second question, Shinomiya Kaguya's voice hadn't come from above.

It came from directly in front of him.

Takakai, who hadn't been immediately on guard, had unwittingly answered that voice.

Splash——

The stagnant water on the kitchen floor began to ripple.