The Monster's Room - Chapter 44
The SCPs at the AAE base all collapsed simultaneously, and some that had awakened began to obey the commands of John Doe’s ‘success experiment’—whose appearance was unseen. This was a complete neutralization of monsters, and even more so, their subjugation. It was no wonder that some Foundation personnel were tempted by this.
<Further sacrifices are meaningless.>
John Doe exploited this opportunity with precision.
<There is no need to protect the SCPs anymore.>
<Why must we waste time, resources, and lives for these creatures?>
<Is it worth it?>
<For world peace?>
<Everyone.>
<Why should we use complex methods when simpler ones are available?>
His speech swayed people’s hearts.
It was so impactful that even a junior researcher watching through Spiegel muttered, “We’re screwed.”
<Thus.>
When John Doe sent the signal, his success experiment, waiting off-screen, initiated an action.
<Just erase them.>
The SCPs, which had been lying quietly, suddenly got up and began to self-destruct.
Crash!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A horrifying cacophony filled the footage. Those briefly enchanted by John Doe recoiled at the grotesque display, but he just laughed.
Smash.
A fragile SCP blew its own head off.
Smash.
A machine-based SCP exploded.
Smash.
Soon after,
<How do you find this?>
The SCPs at the AAE base were completely wiped out.
<This is my peace.>
A black alert was issued at the Foundation.
* * *
Sensing the crisis, Marie acted immediately. There was no time to waste. She pushed Spiegel’s abilities to their limits. The relentless flood of information made her nauseous, but it allowed her to discover a crucial fact.
The success experiment had limitations in its range.
Marie confirmed that the SCPs in the outer regions not captured on CCTV were intact. She quickly devised a plan, issued orders, and managed to take action just in time.
“I …”
She regained her composure in this place.
Only then did Marie realize what had happened to her.
“I fell asleep.”
The events at the AAE base vividly replayed in her mind. The monsters collapsing, John Doe’s unsettling smile, and the success experiment following his commands off-screen.
Marie chuckled at having accurately predicted two of her assumptions.
“Having been attacked,”
She, who had been attacked by John Doe, now found herself.
“Trapped in a dream.”
It was not reality, but a dream.
* * *
“What’s wrong, Mary?”
“…….”
At John Doe’s call, the girl, Mary Hunt, did not answer and rolled her eyes. Her dull, gray-tinted sky-blue eyes were seeing something other than reality.
Knowing this, John Doe did not rush her but waited patiently.
“Is something wrong?”
“No.”
There was something, but Mary lied calmly.
The child had to do well in everything. She needed to appear capable. Only then would the man she imagined as a hero who saved her from nightmares and the kind father figure she dreamed of everyday praise her.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Mary’s gaze shifted to the CCTV screen.
The control room, where the child and John Doe were, was a place that no one could enter, but it was fine. All sentient beings except them were asleep. Mary tightly held John Doe’s hand and looked at the beautiful woman, sleeping like Snow White, in the mirror-covered room on the CCTV screen.
Interestingly, that woman, unlike other monsters, was moving freely in the dream. But that was not a problem. This was Mary’s domain, and eventually, the hidden fears would inevitably surface after a long sleep.
“They’re all asleep now.”
“That’s right.”
“They’ll have terrifying dreams. Very, very terrifying dreams.”
And that was the child’s ability.
“They’ll be so frightened that they will want to escape, even if it means becoming my slave.”
Nightmare.
Mary Hunt had the power to control nightmares and force others into submission. Seeing the satisfaction in John Doe’s eyes, the child smiled back.
“The nightmare is just beginning.”
The light from countless flashing screens illuminated the two of them. Faintly, their figures also appeared on the screen.
New Case 1. The Knight of Death
Realizing that this was a dream, Marie tried to wake up, but no method worked, whether it was jumping around or pinching her cheeks. If such methods could wake her up, she should have woken up when she injured her hand earlier.
Marie frowned as she looked at her now clean, uninjured hand.
Something felt off.
The pain had disappeared, but her senses seemed sharper. It felt as if she was merging with this place. If it were just an illusion, that would be nice. But given Marie’s typical unluckiness, it was more likely that this wasn’t a mere illusion.
“I need to get out.”
Marie quickly approached the iron door. Fortunately, the door was only covered in vines, not locked, and with all her strength, she managed to create just enough of an opening for one person to slip through.
“Phew.”
After finally making it into the hallway, Marie tried to steady her breathing but felt uneasy. The slight breathlessness and the intense heat on her skin felt too vivid. What if she hadn’t realized this was a dream?
‘I’d be more anxious.’
Finishing her brief self-assessment, Marie looked around the hallway.
