Chapter 27: Room 103, Cursed Room – ‘Animal Farm’ (1)
[User: Han Kain (Wisdom)
Date: Day 10
Current Location: Floor 1, Room 103 (Cursed Room – Animal Farm)
Sage’s Advice: 3]
– Han Kain
On the very first evening of our life on the farm, we gathered our findings about the situation as best as we could.
1. The farm was home to a family of four: the couple Brian and Amy, along with their children, Peter (son) and Mei (daughter).
2. I (Black Cow), Yu Songee (Goose), Elena (Dog), and Kim Ahri (Cat), were either livestock or pets on this farm.
3. Cha Jinchul (Boar), Kim Mooksung (Rat), Park Seungyub (Wolf), and Lee Eunsol (Snake) made up the wild animals nearby.
Of course, the sleuthing was mainly accomplished by Elena and Ahri. Honestly, since becoming a black cow, I had been cooped up in the barn, leaving me with no options to help!
Also, since we were using KakaoTalk, which imposes a rather strict limit on our word count, we naturally adopted a conversation style that only featured essential keywords.
Rat King (Mooksung): Everyone stay alert. Danger incoming.
Kim Cat (Ahri): I’ll keep watch at night.
El Doggy (Elena): I’ll check during the day.
Black Cow (Kain): Can’t leave.
Song Goose (Songee): Me neither.
Stupid Pig (Jinchul): The rat won’t get off my head.
Rat King (Mooksung): Keep movements efficient.
Stupid Pig (Jinchul): I feel like headbutting something.
Clever Snake (Eunsol): No wasting words!
Wolf Boy (Seungyub): Is it okay to sleep?
Clever Snake (Eunsol): Get some rest now; confirm things tomorrow.
I felt quite envious of everyone. They were buzzing with ideas about night watches, daytime duties, and strategic movements.
Meanwhile, all I could do in the barn was moo.
With a heavy sigh, I forced my eyes shut.
But hey, the upside of becoming a cow? The grass tasted amazing!
*
– Kim Ahri
As twilight descended…
The sun slowly faded, covering the entire farm in darkness. Finally, I felt an invigorating energy coursing through me. It was only natural.
Because I am a cat.
Emerging from what seemed like my tiny basket bed, I prowled around the farm.
The atmosphere of the farm was rather strange. Four humans and an absurd number of livestock. Eight of those even had smarts.
Of course, the noise level would be off the charts…
Though, oddly enough, as soon as night fell, the whole farm became eerily quiet.
Just as I was about to step outside from the family’s living space, someone seized me by the scruff of my neck.
“Oh my! Ahri. You can’t go out at night! Don’t you know the goblins come out?”
Aw, seriously! Even though I was currently a cat, being lifted by the scruff and stuffed back into my basket felt absolutely horrid.
I strongly wanted to claw at the arms of the daughter of the house, but I figured that pretending to be a good cat would grant me more freedom of action, so I held back.
Waiting patiently in my basket, I peeked out, and I noticed Mei seemed to be nodding off in her bed.
Finally! I could go out!
But wait, “goblins?” Was that just an exaggerated tale to discourage me from heading out at night?
I wouldn’t know unless I actually ventured outside.
Carefully, I stepped forward and slipped out through the window.
Sitting on the windowsill, looking at the farm didn’t particularly feel special…
But suddenly, as if realizing something, I thought, Isn’t it unusually quiet?
And just as I pondered that, I caught a glimpse of shadowy figures wandering outside.
They were definitely not human, and I could bet they weren’t livestock either.
Humans aren’t that big, and livestock don’t walk on two legs.
They seemed to be about 5 to 6 meters tall, shrouded in haze, giving off a humanoid vibe.
Could those be the “goblins”? Fortunately, they didn’t seem to rummage through the farm; they merely appeared like they were casually surveying the area.
And even though I was brazenly peeking at them from the windowsill, they didn’t seem to notice me at all.
One more thing to report tomorrow!
This seems like a reasonable accomplishment for today, right?
For some reason, since becoming a cat, I developed a strong desire to lounge around and sleep.
Since I felt no need to do anything else, I decided to call it a night.
*
[User: Han Kain (Wisdom)
Date: Day 11
Current Location: Floor 1, Room 103 (Cursed Room – Animal Farm)
Sage’s Advice: 3]
– Elena
Rat King (Mooksung): Monsters only appear at night?
Kim Cat (Ahri): Yeah. Can’t confirm danger level yet.
Clever Snake (Eunsol): Any other intel?
Kim Cat (Ahri): Not really.
El Doggy (Elena): Great work. Now, I’ll gather information.
Wolf Boy (Seungyub): There are plenty of other wolves.
Stupid Pig (Jinchul): The wolves might attack the farm, right?
Wolf Boy (Seungyub): I’ll keep an eye on the wolf pack.
Rat King (Mooksung): Me and the pig are scouting for escape routes.
Clever Snake (Eunsol): I’m monitoring the area around the farm.
Black Cow (Kain): Good luck, everyone!
Song Goose (Songee): Thanks!
Once the brief chats concluded, I noticed my body tensing up without realizing.
It seemed everyone’s roles had been broadly defined.
Kim Ahri (Cat): Nightly information gathering
Elena (Dog): Daytime information gathering
Cha Jinchul (Boar) & Kim Mooksung (Rat): Searching for escape routes
Park Seungyub (Wolf): Observing wolf pack movements
Lee Eunsol (Snake): Monitoring the area around the farm
As for Songee and Kain, they were stuck in confinement, so they wouldn’t have any roles for now.
Ah! Now it’s my turn.
Honestly, I felt so apologetic for dying on the first day at Room 102, the Mansion of Fear, without doing anything. I never mentioned it, but upon hearing about Kain and Eunsol-noona’s struggles afterward, my heart ached.
Fortunately, while others were limited by their roles as livestock and wild animals, I was a golden retriever!
At night, I’m a cat, but during the day? Naturally, a DOG!
I resolved to actively gather intel to help everyone out.
So, what’s the first step in this operation? It’s to be loved, right?
Everyone tends to lower their guard around something lovable, and they accept whatever it does, as is the way of the world.
I became that adorable golden retriever and licked Brian’s palm, who was diligently fixing the farm’s fence.
“Oh dear, Elena, this place is a bit dangerous. Ha-ha, what a good girl. Go on to your mom~.”
Brian patted my head a few times and then gently nudged me toward Amy.
After a few rounds of this, everyone would surely come to adore me.
But… What should I actually be gathering information about?
Ahri claimed to have spotted a goblin as soon as night fell, but frankly, I wasn’t seeing any monstrous sightings myself, and I was utterly clueless about what to do.
I continued roaming around for over three hours.
Honestly, it wasn’t hard at all! All I had to do was wag my tail and bark, and suddenly, food appeared in front of me with loving pets on my head.
Oh, the life of a beloved dog is so simple!
As I was milling about, I stumbled upon Brian and Amy discussing something serious.
“Let’s pluck some feathers from the geese tonight. It’s about time.”
“I don’t think it’s a good time to sell them… Shouldn’t we wait a bit longer?”
“Delaying won’t raise the price. It’s better to pluck some when we can and sell them.”
“Let’s inform Peter then.”
Such was the gist of their conversation—a typical farm chat.
That’s how it was… until a lightbulb went off in my head.
Wait a minute. Isn’t Songee a goose?
From what I understand, geese lose feathers while they’re still alive, and some might even die from it.
What do we do now? For starters, let’s discuss it with everyone.
El Doggy (Elena): Urgent announcement!
Rat King (Mooksung): What now?
El Doggy (Elena): Feather-plucking tomorrow night!
Song Goose (Songee): Whhaaaaaaaaattttt??????????
Clever Snake (Eunsol): Shhh! Any countermeasures?
Kim Cat (Ahri): Hide in a corner when they start?
Rat King (Mooksung): If you hide, they’ll choose a different goose.
El Doggy (Elena): I’ll follow, just in case.
Song Goose (Songee): Please, everyone help me…
Black Cow (Kain): Mooooo!
And thus the basic dialogue wrapped up.
First of all, when they go to pluck feathers, Songee should cleverly sneak away to avoid being selected.
If Brian still tries to pick Songee, then…
I’ll step up and do something about it. It’s time I repay the debt for being useless back in Room 102!
Clever Snake (Eunsol): Any other discoveries?
Rat King (Mooksung): The forest is unbelievably vast.
Stupid Pig (Jinchul): No end in sight. Can I change my name?
Wolf Boy (Seungyub): Wolves are out hunting deer nearby.
Black Cow (Kain): Moooo!
Clever Snake (Eunsol): Cow, stop wasting words!
Approximately three hours passed in tense silence as each of us fulfilled our roles.
I began to sense that dinner time was approaching.
Suddenly, I was overcome with curiosity.
Sure, the farm couple fed me at every meal, but I wondered how everyone else was managing their food?
If I asked, I probably would hear some tragic tale about catching bugs and small critters. Better to keep my mouth shut.
More importantly, I needed to focus on ensuring Songee’s safety from feather-plucking tonight.
Long-term, we had to resolve this whole scenario somehow, but honestly? I had no clue how to even start.
For now, our only option was to help everyone survive, one by one.
As I half-heartedly munched on my feed, I watched the family, and soon enough, the couple along with their son Peter began to stand up.
This was it! If I rushed to follow them, they might lock me in the room, so I advanced cautiously.
If they caught sight of me, I’d just lick their hands or something; surely, they’d let me off the hook.
And…
Just to be safe, I devised a little strategy with Seungyub, and at last, I felt relieved.
Now, it’s my time to shine in Room 103, and I must hear all the thank yous from everyone!
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