Chapter 2: Help, I'm a Body Pillow in an Anomaly Nest
A blinding white light swallowed everything.As Hugo's consciousness slowly returned, the system screen appeared before him.
[Respawn Successful]Location: "Peaceful Leaves" Inn, Beginner Village
MorphHide Lv.2 Active!Choose 1 of 3 forms:
Rusty Standing Fan
Burnt Pancake
Lavender-Scented Plaid Body Pillow
Hugo was still in his formless light-state. His vision dark, but those three icons shone bright. He sighed—or at least tried to.
"Respawned at an inn? Hmm... this might be safer than that village yesterday," he murmured.
But when his gaze fell on the form choices, he nearly cried.
"Seriously? Fan, pancake, or a body pillow? This is literally the life menu of a broke college student."
Click.Body pillow.
"Why. Why does this keep happening. I'm... destined to be a cuddle prop?Others become heroes. Me? I become an insomnia therapy tool?!"
The screen popped up again:
"Disguise time will begin in 5 minutes. Choose your hiding spot within the inn."
Hugo rolled slowly across the wooden floor of the inn. The interior was warm and cozy—but he knew better than to trust that.He spotted the linen rack at the end of the hallway.Without hesitation, he launched himself into the pile of other body pillows, adjusted his position, and froze. Not a single breath.
Hugo is hiding among the pillow pile.
The first few minutes passed.
Then—
Two twin girls entered: Riri and Rara.Tiny creatures of atomic energy, daughters of Mrs. Rasmika, the notorious landlady of nightmares.
Seeing the pile of pillows, their eyes sparkled with danger.
"I WANNA SLAM THEM!""I WANNA JUMP ON 'EM 'TIL THEY EXPLODE!"
WHUMP! SMACK! THUD!
Hugo hissed quietly.
"Thank God that's not me... yet."
And then...
It was Hugo's turn.
"So this... is what life has become... a punching bag with lavender scent."
Hugo was tossed, stomped, spun midair, then used as a kung fu practice dummy.
"I AM NOT A SAND BAG, CHILDREN!!""THESE AREN'T NORMAL KIDS... THEY'RE PLANT CREATURES WHO JUST FOUND THEIR FAVORITE TOY!"
He was flung in front of the room's door.
Suddenly, high heels clicked from the hallway.
"Ohhh~ what do we have here? A pillow~?"
Lyna, the curvy housekeeper with dramatic flair, appeared, holding a perfume bottle labeled "Love Burst Perfume 5000X."
"This kind of pillow…" she cooed, approaching slowly."So soft. So warm. So... fragrant~... Hehehe…"
Lyna hugged Hugo.
"If you could talk, you'd call me... mommy~"
"NOOOOO!!! NO 'MOMMY' LINES, PLEASE!!""MY BODY IS A PILLOW, BUT MY HEART IS HUMAN, RESPECT MY INTEGRITY!!"
PSSHHHTT!!
She sprayed Hugo with perfume... far too much.Foam started bubbling. The mist of holy scent sprayed fiercely.Vanilla blended with musk and some unspeakable entity entered his fibers.He felt... anointed. Not for blessing—but for spiritual violation.
This wasn't sensual.This was sacred horror.
Lyna moaned softly, hugging Hugo tighter, rocking herself on top of him with a rhythm that made Hugo's fabric ripple like a haunted house ritual.
"IS THIS... A TEST... FROM GOD?!" Hugo whimpered, bleeding from the nose.
"Mmm~ you're getting wet... are you heating up~?" she whispered, rubbing her cheek against his body.
Illogically and horrifyingly, from deep inside Hugo's pillow form, white foamy liquid began oozing out.Just like when moms overdose on detergent during a 50% sale at the supermarket.
"WHAT IS THIS?! WHAT IS THIS?! I WAS NEVER GIVEN A BODY PILLOW BIOLOGY LESSON!!""IS THIS A NOSEBLEED?! A PILLOW MELTDOWN?! AM I TRANSFORMING INTO A WASHING MACHINE?!"
The foam seeped from his torn seams. Slightly warm.Slightly bubbly.100% panic-inducing.
Riri and Rara peeked from the doorframe, eyes wide like they'd just witnessed alien intel.
"WHOOAA!! THE PILLOW'S BLEEDING!!""IT'S FOAMING!! THIS IS ACTIVE DETERGENT, SIS!! MOMMMMM!!""CHEMICAL REACTION!! THE PILLOW'S GONNA EXPLODE!!"
"DON'T TELL ME I'M NOW A PRIMARY SCHOOL SCIENCE EXPERIMENT!!""I'M JUST AN EMOTIONAL BODY PILLOW!!""GOD, IS THIS KARMA FOR WATCHING 18+ DRAMA IN 5TH GRADE?!"
And like a cursed passage in the holy book of digital karma…
SLAM!!
The door burst open.
Mrs. Rasmika appeared—a terrifying landlady looking like a fusion of a debt collector and military Zumba instructor.
Behind her stood Bang Arjo, a drunk barista with glowing hands... thanks to fermented booze oil and spit alcohol.
"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!" she shouted.Her voice was a fire alarm mixed with the laugh track of a cursed soap opera.
Rasmika's eyes locked onto the foamy mess on the floor.
"THAT PILLOW... IS AN ANOMALY!!" she yelled, pointing like a VAR referee at the Champions League final.
Bang Arjo stared at Hugo with a mix of disgust and curiosity.
"It's bleeding... and leaking foam... THIS IS NOT TEXTILE INDUSTRY STANDARD!!""THIS VIOLATES NATIONAL HYGIENE CODE!!" he added, holding up a cloth so filthy its color defied science.
"OH NO! OH NO!! I'VE BEEN FOUND OUT!!""FOAMING PILLOWS ONLY EXIST IN THOSE BIZARRE JAPANESE FILMS!!"
Hugo jumped from Lyna's arms, tumbling down the hallway like a terrified rugby ball.
Panicking, he rolled left, right, left again. But the floor was slippery with foam.
"NO GRIP!! I'M A PILLOW!! PILLOWS DON'T HAVE BRAKES!!"
"CATCH HIM!!" Rasmika shrieked, brandishing her sacred broom.
"WE MUST CLEANSE THIS INN OF UNSANCTIONED SPRAYING OBJECTS!!"
"I WANNA WASH HIM!!" cried Riri.
"I WANNA STUFF HIM IN A MAGIC RICE COOKER!!" Rara added.
"I WANNA PRESS HIM ON THE TABLE!!" moaned Lyna from behind the curtains, perfume spray armed.
"THIS ISN'T HIDE AND SEEK ANYMORE!! THIS IS HIDE AND DIE!!"
"I'M JUST A PILLOW, BUT THE WORLD TREATS ME LIKE A COSMIC ENTITY FLAGGED BY THE FBI!!"
And Hugo... fled.
He slid like soapy sushi escaping a greasy countertop.Foam sprayed in the air. Riri chased with a bucket.Arjo threw bottles. Rasmika swung her broom.Lyna ran while misting the room with seductive poison.
And Hugo, still bubbly, still bleeding, still traumatized, screamed internally:
"I'M A PILLOW... BUT WHY IS MY LIFE WORSE THAN A FINAL BOSS'?!"
Everyone stormed after him.
"I JUST WANTED TO BE A PASSIVE OBJECT! WHY IS IT LIKE THIS?!""I'VE BEEN... OBJECTIFIED."
"THERE IS NO 'PEACEFUL INN' HERE!!""CATCH HIMMMM!!"
Everyone ran.Plates flew.Brooms swung.Lyna sprayed like a possessed skunk.Hugo leapt toward the stairs, slipped, and flew into the kitchen.
Timer appeared in the air.
[Time Remaining: 00:54 seconds][MorphHide Cooldown: 10 hours]
"I HAVE TO SURVIVE! I'M A PILLOW, BUT I STILL HAVE HUMAN RIGHTS!!"
With desperate hops and absurd momentum, Hugo tumbled toward the kitchen cabinet, slipped inside the bottom shelf.The door shut just as the timer hit 00:01:00.
Cooldown: 9 hours 59 minutes.
Hugo could only stay still. His body motionless, but his soul ringing like a doomsday bell.
"I never asked to be a hero… but is being a tormented pillow going too far?"
He sighed.
"But I'm still alive. I made it.Because I'm not a hero.I'm Hugo.Master of Hiding."
[Congratulations! You've survived!]
XP +750MorphHide leveled up to Lv.3New cooldown: 16 hoursNew feature unlocked: Decoy Voice
To be continued…