The human known as Forne had finally died.
Though his aberration half would persist, his human identity—his true self—had reached its absolute end. There would be no continuation to his story.
The blood-dressed Heldar slowly sat down. Her expression grew vacant, her form gradually translucent... until she vanished completely.
As she disappeared, Maki thought she glimpsed countless figures—men and women, young and old—their faces once twisted with madness now peaceful as they closed their eyes in eternal rest.
It was over.
Maki truly felt it now.
Both core obsessions of Nutty Putty Cave had found resolution.
Andres, who yearned to return to his beloved, had fulfilled his wish.
Heldar, fused with countless victims' hatred, had achieved perfect vengeance.
And Forne—the architect of all this suffering—had finally received his just punishment.
Wait... why did Heldar change targets before Takakai-san gave the order?
Did Fujiwara-san do something?!
Realizing this, Maki immediately turned to run back—just as the dungeon, already crumbling from Andres' absence, began shaking violently. With both core obsessions resolved, it was entering total collapse. The floating debris that had started reforming now fractured anew, cracks spreading rapidly.
By the time Maki returned, she found Chika lying on the ground wearing only her shorts and a sports bra—her skin deathly pale, her body covered in bloody wounds.
Takakai and Kaguya arrived moments later from the opposite direction. Seeing Chika's condition, Takakai didn't hesitate—he reached her faster than even Maki could.
"Ehehe... Takakai-san, I might have... overdone it a little..."
Chika opened her eyes weakly and smiled.
"Why is she hurt so badly?! Takakai-san, give her the badge now!"
Though usually aloof toward Chika, Kaguya's voice shook with urgency as she gripped Takakai's sleeve.
"I know, I'm on it—huh?"
As Takakai removed his rescue team badge, Chika caught his wrist.
"Actually... you don't need to. I'm just... having trouble breathing..."
Her injuries, while numerous, were mostly superficial. The real issue was oxygen deprivation—both from the aberration's psychic assault and the constricting sports bra.
"Are you sure? You're covered in wounds!"
Maki, momentarily stunned by the others' reactions, finally stepped forward.
Then her pupils contracted.
Snip!
The moment Chika mentioned breathing trouble, Takakai understood. Without hesitation, he produced his blood-scissors and—snip—cut straight through the sports bra.
Pale fabric ribbons fluttered through the air.
Though Takakai immediately averted his gaze, he couldn't help but catch a fleeting glimpse of liberated youthful vitality.
God bless physics engines!
He praised inwardly.
Meanwhile, Maki turned to stone.
What... is this?
That weighty proof of womanhood still trembled slightly, celebrating its newfound freedom.
Maki's violet eyes were completely overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude before her, nearly crushed under its devastating presence.
What is this?!
WHAT EVEN IS THIS?!
Such outrageous... such indecent... such terrifying proportions!
She'd never imagined such dimensions existed—especially hidden under that sports bra she'd foolishly dismissed as non-threatening.
This changes everything!
Maki's gaze snapped to Takakai—only to find him already looking away.
Takakai-san wouldn't... be into this type, right?
Her thoughts descended into chaos.
"Let's move! Now!"
Takakai tossed his T-shirt to Chika before surveying their disintegrating surroundings. This was truly the final countdown—any delay meant being trapped forever.
After Chika dressed, Kaguya pinned the rescue badge to her. Its power immediately began healing her wounds and enhancing her physical abilities to superhuman levels—critical for the escape ahead.
BOOM—
Another platform crumbled into the abyss.
Takakai leapt ten meters forward, rolled, and kept running.
The three girls followed closely as aberrations converged from all directions—thousands of them—tourists, explorers, guards, researchers—every soul lost to the cave now giving chase in one final, desperate surge.
"FASTER! MOVE FASTER!"
Takakai's shout barely carried over the cacophony.
A tourist lunged—only to be bisected vertically by Kaguya's surgical scalpel. The weapon's range had expanded dramatically, nearly resembling a lightsaber now. But with each use, bloodstains spread across its surface, and Kaguya's expression grew increasingly unstable.
"Stop using that! It's about to go berserk!"
Takakai seized the scalpel—immediately assaulted by overwhelming bloodlust. Only his iron will stopped him from turning it on his companions.
What kind of dungeon spawned this cursed thing?
More aberrations closed in.
Strangely, Welby's mangled form ignored them entirely, instead dragging a suited figure—indistinguishable from other aberrations—down into the void with him.
CRASH—
With platforms disintegrating faster now, their window was closing.
Then—a thick rope dropped from above.
Howard stood at the exit platform, hauling the improvised lifeline with inhuman strength. The rope—woven from multiple strands—bore all four survivors' weight as he leveraged a stone pillar like a pulley, reeling them up dozens of meters to safety.
[Go. This place won't last much longer.]
Howard's condition had visibly worsened. Freed from D4's suppression, his aberration half was rapidly consuming what remained of his humanity.
"What about you?"
Takakai panted, still catching his breath.
[The dead can't return to life. I've saved everyone else—you're the last. My duty is complete.]
Howard smiled peacefully, having made his peace.
"You three go ahead."
Takakai turned to the girls.
"Why? Takakai-san, we can't just—eep!"
Maki's protest died as Takakai ruffled her hair, drawing an involuntary squeak.
After a silent exchange with Kaguya—who nodded and pulled Maki away—Takakai turned back to Howard.
[Why stay?]
Howard looked genuinely puzzled.
"To give you a chance at living. Though I can't promise it'll work."
Takakai removed the rescue badge from his own chest.
"You've held on this long because you still have unfinished business, right?"
"This badge came from someone like you—a firefighter who helped me in another dungeon. Try channeling your obsession into it. Come with us."
Takakai's gaze never wavered.
[...I do have regrets. Things I never accomplished.]
Howard's expression grew complex.
[But this badge belongs to your world. I...]
CRACK—
The cavern ceiling began collapsing in earnest.
"No time to debate! Either take the chance or die pointlessly!"
Takakai thrust the badge forward.
After one last hesitation, Howard reached out—
—and his fingers passed straight through it.
[...I see. Some paths can't be retread.]
His smile turned wistful as his form grew more translucent.
[Tell me—what was his name? The firefighter who left you this?]
"Wang Hai. His name was Wang Hai."
[Wang Hai...]
Howard repeated the name softly as the first rays of dawn broke through the crumbling ceiling.
[Then my final wish is this—don't let his sacrifice be forgotten. Live well, Takakai-san. Live for all of us who can't.]
With those words, Howard Smith—the last victim of Nutty Putty Cave—vanished into the light.
The rescue badge clattered to the ground as Takakai stood alone on the trembling platform.
Above him, the exit beckoned.
Behind him, an entire world was ending.
He picked up the badge, took one last look back, and began to climb.
Howard spoke slowly to Takakai, his voice carrying the weight of finality:
[Why do these aberrations and horror tales exist in our world?]
[They've taken countless lives... spawned endless tragedies...]
[Yet I remain chained to this hell. There's no escape for me. But Takakai-san... I can leave something behind in this badge. May it aid your journey.]
His finger touched the rescue badge on Takakai's chest.
A strange energy flowed into the emblem. Takakai's eyes widened as he realized—the badge could now summon two rescue team members instead of one. Though this new addition would be just as emotionless as Old Guo's manifestation, a mere shell driven by [Rescue] obsession.
Even in his final moments, this man who couldn't escape his fate continued fulfilling his duty as a firefighter, saving every remaining player in the dungeon.
"..."
Words failed Takakai.
[End these tragedies, Takakai-san. If you can... make those responsible pay. And if you ever meet the architect behind all this...]
Howard's hand rested on Takakai's shoulder.
[For me... for all who perished in these nightmares... punch that bastard square in the face.]
With that, he stepped forward—
—and fell into the endless dark.
The howling, laughing aberrations surged forward like a tidal wave.
Takakai took a deep breath and raised his black-watch-adorned wrist.
"Come."
That familiar discomfort returned—the sensation of his body being hijacked by some unfathomable presence.
[The guilty shall burn. The innocent may rest. As for the dregs... they belong to me.]
Reality twisted.
A vortex erupted from the watch, consuming the crumbling ruins. Every fractured obsession, every lingering horror became fuel for the device.
Backing toward the exit stairs, Takakai kept his arm raised as the entities were sucked into the watch's abyss.
Click—
The watch's hand jumped back to 5.
Click—Click—
The unprecedented number of aberrations—far exceeding Shirakawa Apartments—sent the needle soaring to 3.
[AAAAAHHH—!]
Screams echoed as Takakai saw them—Forne, the inhuman researchers, Senator Anthony and all who transformed Nutty Putty Cave into hell.
They struggled. They wailed.
None escaped the watch's hunger.
One step remained between Takakai and freedom when the needle finally settled at 1—a full five notches restored. The sheer number testified to this place's unimaginable body count.
Time to go.
As Takakai took that final backward step, the last fragment of the dungeon—these stairs—began dissolving.
Nothing left...
Then he saw her.
Susan floated in the darkness, applauding silently.
Why are you—
Shhh~
The gesture was unmistakable. This wasn't Susan—something wore her skin while observing him.
Its finger pressed against where lips should be as a completely emotionless voice whispered in Takakai's ear:
[When the actor finishes their final bow, they leave the darkened stage. Be a good boy and run along now~]
Darkness. Then blinding light.
The vision vanished as if never there.
In this luminous limbo, Takakai saw them—the liberated dead.
Andres held Heldar's hand, smiling at Takakai before turning away, their child following. Firefighters walked shoulder-to-shoulder, laughing. Tourists and cavers exited the now-faded cave. Welbow cast one last conflicted glance at the disappearing nightmare before moving on.
Petty was absent—consumed by the watch along with the park director.
The innocent may rest?
Takakai studied the sole dark object in this radiant space—his watch—like some merciless but impartial judge of the damned.
Two points of light merged into him, bestowing new blessings just as the void returned. That familiar eerie voice spoke:
[Congratulations on clearing Twilight-level dungeon: Nutty Putty Cave]
[Congratulations on dismantling Twilight-level dungeon: Nutty Putty Cave. You approach the Path of Truth. May you reach it.]
[Player: Takakai]
[Evaluation: S]
[Two Twilight-level S-ranks achieved. Midnight Gate now open.]
[We wish you... zzzzt...]
"Damn thing cut out again?" Takakai muttered.
Another vision seized him—this time of Forne pacing anxiously in the prison block, staring at tortured subjects.
A blurred figure in a lab coat approached.
[Sir... perhaps another approach?]
The voice crackled with interference, impossible to identify.
[What approach?] Forne snapped.
[The Great Fissure's unique properties... have we tried human sacrifice? Not animals—people.]
The timid researcher shrank slightly as Forne's eyes lit up.
[Your name? New recruits usually take time adjusting to this place.]
[Oh... just call me KP.]
The figure smiled.
[I love it here.]
Volume 2: Claustrophobia
End
Afterword
And so concludes Volume 2: Claustrophobia.
Good lord—since Chapter 30-ish, I've been bombarded daily with "When will this volume end?" Frankly gave me a headache. Even with detailed outlines, predicting exact chapter counts is impossible, especially when the story evolves during writing. But I suppose this is the price of popularity (laughs~)
Compared to Volume 1's apartment setting (a staple in Asian horror with countless references), Nutty Putty Cave offered no easy templates. The dual-core obsession structure especially challenged me—balancing two sets of clues and their interactions was brain-melting. Though I think the research facility sections could've been polished further, overall I'm satisfied.
Fun fact: Bocchi-chan was originally supposed to appear here alongside Chika as fellow cave victims! But after numerous outline revisions, I moved her debut to Volume 3. Outlines aren't set in stone—they breathe and change with the story.
Next comes the extended intermission (40-50 chapters), featuring:
Daily Life Arc
Hot Springs Trip Arc
Miko's School Horror Arc
...with some ahem "special scenes" that might get me banned if I'm not careful.
Then Volume 3: School Horror Tales—where the eight original core obsessions were stolen by players, downgrading it to a pseudo-Midnight dungeon. From this point, the game's initial hints will contain false information. As for what awaits inside... care to guess? (¬‿¬)
One issue: The eight-core structure might stretch beyond 300 chapters if written straight through. I'm considering splitting Volume 3—what do you think?
Keep as one massive volume
Split into Part 1/Part 2
The casting call for Volume 3 extras will open later. For now, I need rest—60,000 words/month has drained me dry.
Finally, your teaser for Volume 3's main storyline:
"My Isekai Trip Turned Into a Rules-Based Horror Game?!"
Volume 3: Campus Horror Tales
Ding-dong—Ding-dong—
Class is in session.
Students rise. Teachers greet.
Drip—Drop—
Why are you so different from everyone else?
Follow school rules. Be a quiet, obedient child~
Shhh—
Don't step onto forbidden floors.
Don't meet the gaze of those on the ceiling.
Don't stay alone in dorm rooms after 2 AM.
Don't walk the B6 hallway as a boy-girl pair.
Don't close your eyes while stepping backward on the rooftop.
Have you heard?
Angels are buried behind the school building~
Do you see?
Someone's singing outside the classroom window~
Will you come?
We're all floating together in the little lake~
Come now~